Weight loss drugmakers race to make muscle retention treatments

Preserving muscle is an alluring goal for drugmakers that missed the first generation of obesity treatments and are seeking a foothold in the fast-growing and lucrative field

For now, Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound are the leading therapies in a weight-loss market that could grow to $100bn (€92bn) by 2030, according to Goldman Sachs estimates.

The new blockbuster weight loss shots can help patients trim more pounds than any medicines have before. Now drugmakers are rushing to solve another problem — making sure people keep their muscle even as they shed fat.

The race for potential treatments is picking up pace. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals released data recently showing that its antibody cocktail boosted muscle in a small group of volunteers. Eli Lilly & Co agreed to shell out as much as $2bn (€1.8bn) last year for a startup with an experimental drug that aims to decrease fat while maintaining muscle.