The Link Between Weight Loss Drugs and the U.S. Obesity Rate

The U.S. obesity epidemic is possibly the largest public health scourge our country has ever faced. So far, good news in the progress against this problem has been in short supply. 

Weight loss drugs may be changing that. 

In a society that has been at war with weight for decades, never have we seen drugs as effective as GLP-1s in curbing obesity – a fact evidenced in recently published research in the journal JAMA Health Forum which found the first decrease in obesity prevalence in the U.S. in more than a decade. And while the change in U.S. obesity prevalence measured by this research team was modest (from 46% in 2022 to 45.6% in 2023), the finding seems to support the idea that GLP-1s are doing what no other weight loss drug until this moment could – namely, putting a dent in the obesity epidemic. 

To be sure, the U.S. isn’t close to solving this problem. Recent research estimates that nearly three quarters of adults in the U.S. are classified as overweight or obese. And while much of the general conversation around obesity is fixated on the superficial, the impact on public health goes much deeper due to the devastating and widespread consequences of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and shortened lifespan.  

This is precisely why current advances in medicines to treat obesity are so exciting. But even more promising is what the future holds. Just as cancer chemotherapy didn’t stop at methotrexate and heart failure treatment didn’t stop at nitroglycerine, obesity drugs will not stop at GLP-1s.  

Even now, our company is testing peptide drugs that promise to deliver a safer, more effective solution to weight loss. Animal studies suggest this approach addresses the problem of rebound weight gain after discontinuation. The fact that it comes in an oral form, as opposed to an injectable, may also increase acceptance, affordability and adherence. 

At Endevica Bio, we believe we are at the threshold of the next phase of progress against our nation’s obesity epidemic. And where current solutions have built the foundation, our innovative approach will advance the fight against one of America’s most pressing health crises. 

By Dr. Daniel Marks, MD, PhD is Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Endevica Bio.