When the public asks for weight loss drugs, “say less” is Big Pharma’s response.
Driving the news: Several major biotech players are moving fast to develop obesity drugs to snag their share of a market that analysts say could be worth US$50B annually by 2030.
- When Novo Nordisk launched its weight loss drug WeGovy, which helped patients lose 15% of their body weight on average, the stuff started flying on the shelves.
- Widespread shortages of the appetite-suppressing drug forced Novo to pause its marketing efforts and rethink its manufacturing strategy, per the Financial Times.
Why it matters: Obesity is a disease that affects about 650 million people worldwide (and counting). It largely goes untreated and can have devastating health implications.
- Statistics Canada reports that two out of every three adults in Canada are overweight or obese, and the proportion of obese children has nearly tripled in the last 25 years.
- Changes in society, work, and leisure that have affected activity and eating patterns are the most significant factors contributing to that spike.
Yes, but: As drug makers rush to launch new drugs to tackle obesity, critics are starting to ring alarm bells around their potential side effects and misuse for unhealthy weight loss.
- The rise in celebrity endorsement could potentially contribute to more misuse. Just last month, Elon Musk attributed his own weight loss to “fasting” and “WeGovy.”
- Patients will also need to take the drugs for life to ensure they don’t gain the weight back, which could pose a major financial burden on users (a month’s supply of WeGovy costs US$1,349).
Zoom out: Per the Financial Times, “obesity medication is [forecasted to be] the next blockbuster pharma category, like the revolution in treating high blood pressure in the 80s.”