Three Things We Learned From Scrip’s “Beyond Glp-1” Obesity Webinar

by Carolyn Hall

The first wave of GLP-1s reshaped the obesity market at unprecedented speed. The next phase is forming just as quickly, with more mechanisms, more deal activity, and growing commercial complexity.

In Scrip’s latest webinar, the team examined how obesity R&D, dealmaking, and commercialization are evolving beyond first-generation GLP-1s. There was a lot to cover but for me, there were three themes that stood out.

1. Weight loss alone is no longer enough: At this stage, both markets and patients expect double-digit weight loss as standard. Differentiation is shifting towards quality of weight loss and whether patients can stay on treatments. The next generation of obesity drugs are focused on a range of enhancements, including muscle preservation, durability of effect, and tolerability that supports chronic use. Obesity is now being approached as a multi-factor disease. Combinations, sequencing, and adjunctive therapies are becoming central to pipeline strategy.
2. Dealmaking is scaling fast, with China playing its part: Dealmaking is picking up across biopharma, but obesity deals are taking a significant piece of the pie. Obesity-related deal activity has already surpassed last year’s levels. Inevitably, Chinese biotechs have become a major source of innovation. A growing share of global obesity pipelines now originates in China, with licensing activity following closely behind.
3. Commercial dynamics are getting harder to predict: The obesity market remains one of the fastest growing in pharma, but the landscape is shifting. The webinar team discussed several forces that are reshaping expectations. In particular, the rapid price erosion in the US driven by consumer channels, and the rise of direct-to-consumer models that bypass traditional pathways. Obesity drugs aren’t the only D2C drugs, of course, but the huge interest from potential patients is driving this new channel forward quickly.

Of course, over the course of the webinar, the presenters were able to get into much more detail, discussing what will follow this first – huge – wave of innovation in the market. Most Big Pharmas are fighting for their place, but sustained leadership will depend on portfolio depth, differentiated mechanisms, and commercial strategies that can adapt as pricing and access evolve.

I recommend finding the time to catch the webinar on demand when you can. And keep up to date with all the latest in this fast-moving sector with Scrip. If you don’t have a Scrip subscription, you can set up a free, seven-day trial here.