Hungry for change: How will 2026 reshape the way we treat obesity? 

From the King Kong of weight-loss jabs to the Godzilla of the category, the GLP-1 industry is undergoing big changes

Ozempic was launched by Danish pharma company Novo Nordisk as a diabetes drug in January 2018

Ozempic was launched by Danish pharma company Novo Nordisk as a diabetes drug in January 2018, but the public didn’t cotton on to the medication’s fat-reducing aspect until early 2021, when Dr Oz highlighted Glucagon-like peptide-1’s (GLP-1) weight-loss benefits on his US TV show. The ‘skinny jab’ took off like a rocket and Ozempic sales hit a billion dollars within 18 months. Its success meant other pharma companies wanted in, and analysts estimate the global market for weight-loss medications could reach $150bn (about €130bn) by 2035.

Analysts estimate the global market for weight-loss medications could reach $150bn (about €130bn) by 2035.