Next-Generation Weight-Loss Drugs Aim Beyond the Scale
At the annual American Diabetes Association meeting earlier this month, drugmakers showcased a new phase in obesity treatment, where success is measured not only by pounds lost but by dosing convenience, durability, and effects on dangerous fat. Dr. Lior Neuman, a family physician and diabetes and obesity specialist at Maccabi Healthcare Services, said most of the new data came from small phase 2 studies of a few hundred patients designed to test safety and efficacy.
Pfizer presented brabantide, an experimental GLP-1 drug that could one day be given once a month instead of weekly. In the VESPER studies, it produced nearly 16% weight loss after 32 weeks, improved HbA1c by 2.2 percentage points in patients with type 2 diabetes, and maintained weight loss after patients switched from weekly to monthly dosing. Neuman said monthly treatment could improve adherence, noting that in real life at least half of patients stop within a few months.
Roche reported strong phase 2 results for anespetide, a dual GLP-1 and GIP drug. In 469 adults, the highest dose cut body weight by up to 22.7% after 48 weeks, while 26% lost at least 30% of their weight and more than half of those on doses above 8 mg no longer met the obesity definition. Safety findings were acceptable, with treatment stopped because of side effects in 5.9% versus 1.3% on placebo.
Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma reported that survodutide, a GLP-1 and glucagon drug, reduced average weight by 16.6% after 76 weeks and also targeted visceral and liver fat. MRI analysis showed reductions of up to 34% in deep abdominal fat and 63.1% in liver fat, and in MASLD patients up to 84.2% achieved at least a 30% drop in liver fat. The companies said the drug could help bridge obesity and liver disease treatment.
Eli Lilly presented the strongest late-stage data on retatrutide, a triple GLP-1, GIP and glucagon agonist. In a phase 3 trial of 2,339 people with obesity or overweight plus another weight-related condition, the highest 12 mg dose led to 28.3% average weight loss after 80 weeks, and 45.3% lost at least 30%. In another phase 3 study of 930 patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, HbA1c fell by 1.7 to 2.0 points and weight dropped by up to 16.8% after 40 weeks.
AstraZeneca also disclosed phase 2 results for oral once-daily ecnoglifron, which produced 11.8% weight loss in 36 weeks in obesity and met its glucose-control target in type 2 diabetes. Novo Nordisk, meanwhile, had previously shown that amykretin, which acts on GLP-1 and amylin, delivered 24% weight loss with an injectable version in 36 weeks and 13% with a pill in 12 weeks; in November 2025 it also reported diabetes data and said a phase 3 program began in early 2026. Neuman said the field is moving beyond scale weight alone toward better adherence, greater efficacy, and lower metabolic risk.
