Obesity Drug Development: Still Room to Grow

The second in our series of healthcare development reports focuses on the clinical and market needs within the GLP-1 space and how biopharma, investors and academia view the next obesity breakthrough.

Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide) quickly reached blockbuster status, with consensus forecasts expected to reach $46bn collectively by 2031. The adoption of GLP-1 drugs in the US has sparked speculation about their potential to reshape national weight trends and eating habits, with ripple effects reaching unexpected sectors from fast food to airlines. Large players, including Amgen, AstraZeneca, and Merck, have entered and/or refocused their obesity efforts in recent years, leading to a flurry of deal-making activity.

In the latest in our series of industry papers with DNB healthcare analysts Back Bay examines findings from a proprietary physician survey to understand the scope and focus of biopharma licensing/M&A interest, and determine which targets are garnering interest from private and public funding.

 

In this piece, we highlight the feedback from a proprietary physician survey, as well as the scope and focus of biopharma licensing/M&A interest, and determine which targets are garnering interest from private and public funding.


PETER BAK, PHD

Partner, Managing Director
BBLSA
Boston

CHRISTIAN THIENEL

Director,
BBLSA
Boston

TRENT GORDON

Consultant,
BBLSA
Boston

RUNE MAJLUND DAHL

Senior Research Equity Analyst,
DNB Markets
Copenhagen

 

 

About the DNB//Back Bay Partnership for Healthcare 

From private and emerging public life science and healthcare companies seeking partnering, licensing, and M&A opportunities to listing and executing on US and Nordic exchanges to consolidators seeking and executing acquisitions and other growth strategies, DNB//Back Bay provides financial and strategic guidance on growth opportunities across sector and stage.

Our healthcare strategy and banking teams span the globe and have worked across every stage and sector of healthcare development.

Learn more about our partnership and read our disclosures.