The Other Pandemic

COVID-19 Highlighted Risks And Costs Of Obesity. Pharma Is Getting Interested

When Novo Nordisk’s anti-obesity medicine Wegovy launched in June 2021, patients and physicians could not get enough. As COVID-19 underscored the risks of obesity, along came the most effective drug yet – on a par with surgery, in terms of weight loss achieved. Pharma’s interest in this disease has reawakened, and Wegovy may be just the first of a new generation of more powerful anti-obesity medicines.

Obesity Dugs Concept
• Source: Alamy

When Novo Nordisk AS launched anti-obesity drug Wegovy (semaglutide) in the US in June 2021, physicians and patients could not get enough. Supplies quickly ran out, even though the drug is not covered by government insurers Medicare or Medicaid. “This drug is at least twice as effective as anything we’ve seen before,” said Louis Aronne, professor of metabolic research at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Comprehensive Weight Control Center. “We are inundated with patients.”

Trials of Wegovy, a glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 agonist, showed a 15% average weight loss, in combination with diet and exercise,...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on In Vivo for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from Innovation

This Belgian Biotech’s Drug Cocktail Could Help Reverse Muscle Aging

 
• By 

While big pharma pours billions into creating new anti-aging molecules, a Belgian startup has taken a different path: combining existing safe drugs with AI precision. The early results suggest it might be onto something revolutionary.

Podcast: Brain+ CEO Discusses “Groundbreaking” Potential Of CST Assistant For Dementia Patients

 

Devika Wood, CEO of Brain+, explains the importance of developing health tech solutions for dementia and the growing need to both raise awareness and improve overall access to nondrug interventions like CST.

The Goldilocks Isotope: Perspective Therapeutics’ ‘Just Right’ Alpha Radiotherapeutic

 
• By 

Thijs Spoor's bet on lead-212 is paying off as Perspective Therapeutics advances three clinical programs with promising early efficacy signals and a comprehensive manufacturing strategy.

Johnson & Johnson MedTech: How To Scale Digital Solutions

 

J&J's EMEA head of digital solutions, Julia Fishman, talks about the hurdles in scaling digital innovation and what’s up next on J&J’s innovation road map. Robot-assisted surgery pioneer Ivo Broeders gives his perspective on the difficulties in clinical adoption.

More from In Vivo

Podcast: Brain+ CEO Discusses “Groundbreaking” Potential Of CST Assistant For Dementia Patients

 

Devika Wood, CEO of Brain+, explains the importance of developing health tech solutions for dementia and the growing need to both raise awareness and improve overall access to nondrug interventions like CST.

Behind The Buyout: Dispatches From The Dealmaking Table

 
• By 

In a challenging funding environment for biopharma, strategic dealmaking has become a critical growth engine. In Vivo explores what it truly takes to navigate high-stakes acquisitions and partnerships, drawing on insights from seasoned industry leaders.

Crisis Or Opportunity? US MFN Policy Could Test Japan’s Appetite For Reforms

 
• By 

While the adoption of most favored nation drug pricing in the US stands to affect Japanese biopharma firms now heavily reliant on this market, it might also present an opportunity for pricing and policy reforms at home.