The Hot Topic in the Pharmaceutical Industry: 'Obesity Treatment'
Weight Loss & Obesity Treatment is Now Science
Eli Lilly, a prominent American pharmaceutical company founded in 1876, has announced the acquisition of obesity treatment developer Versanis Bio for $1.93 billion. While the details of the phased acquisition cost have not been disclosed, considering that Versanis was founded in 2021, it is assumed that payments will be made based on milestone achievements.
Versanis has so far raised $70 million in a Series A round, making the acquisition amount quite significant.
Eli Lilly is already expected to soon launch a product named Mounjaro, which serves as both a diabetes treatment and has weight loss effects. Mounjaro is currently awaiting FDA approval and has shown to reduce weight by up to 22.5% through weekly injections.
WeightWatchers Enters the Drug-Based Weight Control Market
The market for obesity treatments is heating up. In March, WeightWatchers, which has long provided weight control services through diet and lifestyle improvements, announced its entry into the drug-based weight control market.
👉 WeightWatchers (WW International) Acquires Digital Health Company Sequence
Known by the name WeightWatchers, the diet company WW International has acquired Sequence, a telehealth service provider. Sequence is known for offering remote medical services where patients can get prescriptions from doctors. Drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic, which can be prescribed through Sequence, are known to be used by celebrities like Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian, and are even experiencing shortages in the market.
Investment Rush in Obesity Treatment Startups
Recently, there has been a surge in investments in startups focused on aiding weight loss or developing obesity treatments. Crunchbase introduces nine such startups that are focused on weight loss and obesity treatment.
HealthifyMe: An Application That Allows Tracking of Food and Exercise
Among them, the company that secured the largest amount of investment, $130 million, is HealthifyMe, an Indian company. HealthifyMe provides trackers related to lifestyle habits, such as nutrition trackers and workout trackers. In addition to this, they also support users in adhering to plans for diet and exercise.
Calibrate: Capable of Prescribing Wegovy and Ozempic
Calibrate, which supports programs to improve metabolism for sustained weight loss, has secured $127 million in funding. Similar to Sequence, which was acquired by WeightWatchers, Calibrate also offers telemedicine services that can prescribe GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro, and also provides video coaching services.
Lumen: Developing Devices to Measure Metabolism Through Breathing
In addition to these, there are other companies offering similar weight loss programs and pharmaceutical companies developing drugs for obesity treatment. A unique company worth mentioning is Lumen, which manufactures devices to measure metabolism. Lumen, an Israeli company, has secured $72 million in investment and focuses on analyzing and improving health by measuring metabolism through a portable device. The company aims to make metabolism tests, which were previously only available to elite athletes, accessible to everyone.
Weight Loss & Obesity Treatment is Now Science
The weight loss market, which was once considered to be solely reliant on individual willpower, is increasingly being dominated by scientific technology. However, it should be noted that the long-term effects of the obesity treatment drugs introduced above have not yet been fully verified.
In addition to the types of drugs mentioned above, domestic pharmaceutical companies like Tebtron, Dong-A ST, and Hanmi Pharmaceutical are also entering the field of obesity treatment drug development, which is worth paying attention to.