Lilly, Novo bet on amylin obesity drugs after GLP-1s
Pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are developing new obesity treatments that target the amylin pathway to complement existing GLP-1 drugs. Clinical trials suggest that combining these therapies can lead to significantly higher weight loss than current standalone treatments.
Why it matters
Represents a major shift in the multi-billion dollar obesity drug market, potentially improving health outcomes for patients who do not respond fully to current medications.
The next generation of blockbuster obesity drugs isn't trying to replace GLP-1 medicines.
Instead, drugmakers are developing treatments that can complement existing drugs and push weight loss further, or offer new options for potentially millions of people who may not get enough benefit from GLP-1s.
That's the early potential of a new slate of injections, pills, and combination regimens targeting the amylin pathway, which involves a hormone released in the pancreas alongside insulin that helps regulate hunger and fullness. Amylin gives Eli Lilly , Novo and several other companies another biological lever to pull in treating obesity and Type 2 diabetes, either as an independent treatment or layered on top of existing drugs.
Lilly offered a promising glimpse of that strategy this week.
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