Obesity Drug Market Heats Up as Amgen, Pfizer, and Structure Therapeutics Vie for Dominance

Amidst intense competition in the obesity drug market dominated by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, several players are making strides towards Phase 3 trials. Amgen has halted development of its candidate AMG 513, focusing instead on MariTide, which is advancing to later-stage trials with a long-acting treatment design. The company aims for commercialization and has initiated a large-scale Phase 3 trial, expanding the scope beyond obese and overweight patients to related comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes.

Pfizer is also in the running with verobenatide, a long-acting GLP-1 treatment it secured through its acquisition of Metsera. With 10 Phase 3 trials underway targeting chronic weight management and obesity-related comorbidities, Pfizer seeks to prove efficacy and safety for a 2028 launch.

Structure Therapeutics is making waves with its oral GLP-1 receptor agonist aleniglipron, which showed significant weight loss in a Phase 2 trial. If it continues to demonstrate competitiveness, the company may attract partnerships or mergers and acquisitions from global pharmaceutical companies.