All the health conditions weight-loss drugs are being used and tested for
Companies explore other uses for popular weight loss injections
- Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 drugs, including Mounjaro, Zepbound, Ozempic, and Wegovy, achieved over U$40 billion in combined sales last year.
- Both pharmaceutical companies are actively investigating and testing these drugs for a broader range of medical conditions beyond their current uses for diabetes and weight loss.
- New conditions under exploration include alcohol use disorder, Alzheimer's disease, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and a type of fatty liver disease called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
- Significant developments include Ozempic's US approval for reducing kidney failure risk in diabetes patients and Zepbound's US approval for obstructive sleep apnea in December 2024.
- Novo Nordisk has indicated that increased competition and the emergence of copycat versions are expected to affect Wegovy sales this year.