[Reading Science] "Affordable and Convenient"... Cost-Effective Obesity Treatments Are Coming

Nature Introduces New Obesity Treatment Completing Phase 2 Clinical Trial
Much Cheaper and Easier to Take Than Existing Options, with Superior Efficacy

Although new drugs are emerging in the obesity treatment market recently, many evaluations still point out that they are expensive, difficult to use, and their efficacy is unsatisfactory. However, it is noteworthy that obesity treatments breaking the existing mold, allowing consumers to lose weight more cheaply and easily, are expected to enter the market within a few years.

Obesity (stock photo)

The international academic journal Nature reported on the 26th (local time) the development news of obesity treatments Orforglipron and Retatrutide, which recently completed Phase 2 clinical trials. The Phase 2 clinical trial results of these two new obesity drugs were presented at the American Diabetes Association seminar held this month and reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. They appear to possess superior efficacy, lower cost, and convenience compared to existing leading obesity treatments.

Both drugs are analog hormone agents that replicate glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a type of hormone formed in response to specific nutrients in the human gut. They work by slowing digestion in the gastrointestinal tract and acting on receptors in the brain to reduce appetite, thereby helping to reduce body weight. Originally developed as diabetes treatments, the weight loss "side effect" has attracted greater attention, leading to active use as obesity treatments. An existing treatment based on this is Mounjaro. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a diabetes treatment five years ago and is now undergoing additional approval as an obesity treatment with its active ingredient trizepatide. Semaglutide is another example, marketed as Wegovy for obesity treatment and Ozempic for diabetes treatment.

The problem with these two existing treatments is that they are injectables, requiring weekly injections, which causes inconvenience in prescriptions. They are also very expensive and contain peptides, which are labor-intensive raw materials. As a result, Wegovy and Mounjaro cost over $1,000 per month, and supply shortages sometimes make them difficult to obtain in the market.

However, Orforglipron is made from a non-peptide molecule, making it easier to produce and available in pill form. Although the price has not yet been set, it is expected to be much cheaper than existing obesity treatments. Sean Wharton, a professor at McMaster University in Canada involved in the research of this drug, said, "I believe Orforglipron is a game changer in the obesity treatment market."

If Orforglipron enables more people to treat obesity with medication, another new treatment, Retatrutide, is attracting attention for its unprecedentedly outstanding weight loss effect. In Phase 2 clinical trials, the group receiving the highest dose showed an astonishing 24.2% weight reduction over 11 months. This far exceeded the 15-20% reduction seen with existing treatments. The range of efficacy was also broader. About 10% of patients showed no effect with existing drugs, but all participants in this trial succeeded in reducing at least 5% of their body weight. This is because Wegovy interacts with one receptor that determines appetite, Mounjaro interacts with two receptors, but Retatrutide interacts with three receptors.

What about side effects? With Wegovy and Mounjaro, a certain number of patients report side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Orforglipron and Retatrutide showed similar trends in Phase 2 trials. However, researchers are confident. Professor Wharton asserted, "Side effects can be minimized through techniques that gradually increase the dosage of the prescribed drug." In fact, the degree of side effects of obesity treatments is a major factor considered by pharmaceutical companies that need to sell the drugs and by users whose goal is to lose weight without exercise. If the medication is stopped without other prescriptions such as exercise, weight will increase again, so pills or injections must be taken continuously. If side effects are severe, demand will inevitably decrease.

Meanwhile, the market for oral obesity treatments, which has recently begun to take shape in earnest, is expected to reach about $10 billion worldwide, emerging as a "golden goose."