Pharma Giants Race to Develop Weight-Loss Pills as Global Demand Soars

Weight-loss drugs could generate over $150 billion in revenue by the early 2030s, driven by rising demand worldwide.

Popular injectables like Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy have sparked global interest. Now, many pharmaceutical firms are working to create oral versions of these treatments. Pills are easier to produce and distribute, helping to avoid earlier supply issues linked to injections.

Eli Lilly is leading with Orforglipron, a once-daily oral GLP-1 agonist. In a late-stage trial, patients lost 12.4% body weight in 72 weeks. The company plans to file for approval by the end of 2025.

Preparations for large-scale production and global submissions are already underway. This move could further cement Lilly’s position in the weight-loss market.

Novo Nordisk is also progressing with oral semaglutide, a pill form of its injectable drug. It showed around 15% weight loss in late-stage trials. The drug is under review by regulators, with a decision expected by late 2025.

Novo is also working on advanced oral drug combinations to increase effectiveness and convenience for patients.

Structure Therapeutics is testing GSBR-1290, a non-peptide oral GLP-1 agonist. In a 12-week mid-stage study, it showed an average weight loss of 6.2%. More results from another mid-stage trial are expected by the fourth quarter. This could determine the drug’s future in a highly competitive field.

Merck, in partnership with Hansoh Pharma, is preparing to test HS-10535. This oral small-molecule GLP-1 agonist is still in pre-clinical lab stages.

Early results will guide future human trials. If successful, it could position Merck as a new contender in the oral weight-loss drug space.

AstraZeneca, along with Eccogene, is developing ECC5004. Early trials showed encouraging weight-loss results and a good safety profile. AstraZeneca is now leading planned mid-stage trials. The drug’s once-daily pill format adds to its appeal for patients seeking alternatives to injections.

Roche is advancing CT-966 after acquiring Carmot Therapeutics. In early trials, it showed 6.1% placebo-adjusted weight loss in just four weeks. These results were observed in obese patients without diabetes.

Further trials are expected to determine long-term impact and safety.

Viking Therapeutics is working on VK2735, a dual GLP-1/GIP agonist. In early trials, the highest dose resulted in 8.2% weight loss over 28 days. A mid-stage trial began this year, with results expected in the second half. If proven safe, this dual-action drug could stand out in a crowded field.

Pfizer’s efforts have faced setbacks. It scrapped development of its twice-daily danuglipron pill due to poor tolerability. Later, a once-daily version was tested on 1,400 patients.

However, liver safety concerns halted further progress. For now, Pfizer appears to be stepping back from the obesity drug market.