Obesity and weight management issues are a significant public health crisis in the United States; 30% of the American population is overweight, with almost half having obesity. Sixty-five percent say willpower alone is not enough when it comes to healthy lifestyle choices — such as consistent exercise and a nutritious diet — to lose fat and avoid other weight-related health issues.

In the last two decades, we’ve seen breakthroughs in weight loss medication that have led to exploding demand, and this is only the beginning.

What’s Happening Now?

The current top weight loss treatments work to suppress appetite and slow digestion by targeting the glucagon-like peptide one receptor (GLP-1s) — a gut hormone released when eating food.

These two medications activate GLP-1 and lead the market now:

• Semaglutide – An agonist of GLP-1, which makes people feel full and can help them lose up to 15% of their body weight.
• Tirzepatide – This drug targets GLP-1 and the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). This dual agonist approach has shown to be more effective, as patients can lose up to 25% of their body weight.

Popular brand-name medications Ozempic and Wegovy, produced by Danish biopharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, have semaglutide as their active ingredient. Ozempic was originally developed to treat type-2 diabetes and isn’t approved for weight loss, but patients may shed a few pounds as a side effect, whereas Wegovy is higher in dosage and approved to treat weight loss.

American biopharmaceutical company Eli Lilly manufactures two tirzepatide injections, Zepbound and Mounjaro. Zepbound is approved for weight loss, while Mounjaro is for type-2 diabetes.

Right now, these medications rule the market, bringing in billions each year for their respective companies, but there are many other treatments out there.

What’s Next?

The weight loss drug category is one of the fastest-growing biomedical sectors. Here’s what’s coming:

More Innovation and Increased Effectiveness

There are some fascinating changes currently in the pipeline. One significant development is companies' desire to remove the barrier for patients afraid of needles by creating oral options.

There is also a desire to combine elements from existing treatments for a more potent drug. Here are two examples:

• CagriSema – Combines semaglutide and cagrilintide — which targets a pancreatic hormone to help the patient feel full.
• Retatrutide – A triple-hormone agonist of GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors that leads to more weight loss by targeting liver fat.

Researchers are looking into the gastrointestinal hormone Peptide YY — part of the pancreatic polypeptide family — for obesity medication because it can lower one’s appetite and weight by manipulating the digestive process.

Amgen, another American biopharmaceutical company, is developing a GLP-1 agonist and GIP receptor antagonist. Amgen says its goal is to help patients achieve quicker weight loss, need less frequent dosing and possibly achieve better weight maintenance.

Despite the fantastic results in fat loss semaglutide users see, many also experience significant muscle loss. To counter this side effect, researchers are exploring Bimagrumab, a monoclonal antibody, possibly being an infusion in weight loss drugs to increase muscle mass while helping patients lose weight.

Demand Will Continue Growing

As almost half of U.S. adults struggle with obesity and weight-related conditions, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Ozempic and Wegovy became massive hits once people discovered how effective they were.

Sales have exploded, and Morgan Stanley predicts the market could increase more than 15 times by the early 2030s.

Market Saturation

While Wegovy and Zepbound rule the market now, it won’t be long before others break in and challenge their supremacy.

The floodgates are opening for new medications; many are undergoing trials to get FDA-approved, with numerous more in development. To learn more about the drugs coming to market, check out these articles:

• The Latest Updates: 14 New Weight Loss Drugs on the Horizon
• Top Weight Loss Medications

Lower Prices and Increased Accessibility

Only a small percentage of Americans who qualify for obesity drugs can access them due in large part to their $1,000 or more monthly price tag. Insurers are also reluctant to cover them.

Despite this limited accessibility, sales exploded in early 2024, and Novo Nordisk couldn’t keep up with demand. Now, with increased competition and the Danish company catching up on its inventory, prices should be driven down, and supply and demand will likely level out.

Prescriber networks are also expected to increase, meaning more qualified health professionals can oversee and authorize prescriptions, creating more patient access points.

Personalizing Treatments

An increasingly saturated market and more diverse options will enable medical professionals to prescribe medications that meet the unique needs of their patients.

Additional Benefits

Other serious health issues come with being overweight. Obesity is especially intertwined with cardiovascular-related complications. And since many weight loss medications spawned from diabetes treatments, it is reasonable to expect they can be used to treat, manage or prevent these problems. Many are already used for heart disease, heart failure, hypertension and more.

Other research suggests these drugs can help with the following conditions:

• Addiction
• Kidney disease
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Sleep apnea

Also, a study found a diabetes drug that is also a GLP-1 agonist may be able to slow the progression of Parkinson’s.

Important Message

You should consult your doctor if you are interested in weight loss medication. It is not for everyone. The patient criteria for these medications are measured in body mass index (BMI), and, usually, only people with obesity and other weight management conditions meet them. Weight loss drugs are a supplement to a healthy lifestyle and are not a replacement for exercise and a nutritious diet.

Advisory: “Med spas” are obtaining and attempting to sell weight loss medications. This is not safe, as there is insufficient medical oversight. You should only receive these drugs via prescription from an approved practitioner.

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