The Future Pipeline for Pharmacological Interventions

The future pipeline for weight loss pharmaceutical interventions include:

• Cagri-Sema – a combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide
• Orforglipron – an oral GLP-1 receptor agonist
• Retatrutide – a triple agonist (injectable) targeting GLP-1, GIP and Glucagon

Longer term, companies are looking at how they can create treatments that target fat loss rather than overall weight. For example a modified UCN2 (urocortin 2) neuropeptide has been investigated as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity and insulin resistance, with a specific focus on skeletal muscle. This agent may act as an insulin sensitizer in skeletal muscle and may be incorporated in a treatment that has the potential to build muscle mass while causing the body to lose fat.

With more options for doctors and patients to choose from in coming years, obesity treatment can, and should, become more personalized, and doctors should get better at matching patients to the medications that will work best for them. By integrating medical weight management into your clinic now, as part of a more holistic approach, you will have the ability to capitalise on these new trends and treatments as they arise. This will allow you to support your patients to live longer, healthier and happier lives.

References:

1. Melissa L. Borg, et al.; Modified UCN2 Peptide Acts as an Insulin Sensitizer in Skeletal Muscle of Obese Mice. Diabetes 1 July 2019; 68 (7): 1403–1414. https://doi.org/10.2337/db18-1237