Why the obesity drug market is about to get a lot more crowded and more...

Not surprisingly, given the massive popularity of the obesity wunderkinds sold by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, major competition is brewing. In fact, analysts say the obesity drug market is about to get a lot more crowded, with more than a dozen new therapies poised to launch by decade’s end.

Encouraged by the blockbuster debuts of Novo’s Wegovy in 2021 and Lilly’s Mounjaro in 2022 (the drug was subsequently approved for weight loss as Zepbound), pharma companies are vying to launch several alternative treatments, adding to a drug market which is expected to be the largest in pharma history.

     

From popular weight loss drugs to lifesaving cancer therapies, recent pharma deals show the industry is doubling down on manufacturing capacity to meet demand.

     

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE: EW) reported first-quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations after market close Thursday.

The maker of catheter-delivered heart implants — including transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) systems and transcatheter mitral and tricuspid therapies (TMTT) — also increased its full-year sales guidance. EW’s stock price was relatively flat in after-hours trading.

     

Joining a list that recently includes Pfizer, UCB and WuXi AppTec, Takeda Pharmaceuticals is the latest drugmaker to pull out of prominent industry lobbying group the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO).

     

There are more than 50 glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) in clinical development for Type 2 diabetes, obesity, or both.

Clinical trials on the efficacy and safety of these medicines and combination therapies involving them are ongoing, including cardiovascular outcome trials to prove further safety against cardiovascular events.