Obesity mechanisms in the clinic: which overlap, and which branch out

The success of obesity therapies targeting the incretin axis has galvanized a wave of drug development with different molecular targets but similar physiological mechanisms of action. A handful of clinical programs are going further afield, some of which could stand out by shrinking fat and not muscle.

At least 38 clinical programs are disclosed in company pipelines for obesity, with even more targeting indications where obesity is frequently part of disease presentation, such as diabetes, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or rare genetic disorders. More than half of the obesity programs mimic incretins — peptide hormones that stimulate decreases in blood glucose levels. ...