Weight Loss
Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this disease.
Obesity and cardiovascular disease: an ESC clinical consensus statement.
What's happening now
An analyst briefing on current research, clinical, regulatory and industry activity surrounding this disease.
- 6 clinical trials expected to report results, the earliest in Q2 2027.
- 12 industry developments reported.
- Q2 2027Efficacy, Metabolic and Cardiovascular Effects of Liraglutide in Children Aged 6-12 Years With Severe Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Advanced Echocardiographic Assessment
- Q4 2027A Novel Precision Medicine Approach For Obesity: A Randomized, Multi-Center Trial
- Q4 2027EVALUATING THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF MET097, A FULLY-BIASED ULTRA LONG-ACTING GLP-1RA, IN PEOPLE WITH OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY AND TYPE 2 DIABETES: A PHASE 3, MULTI-CENTER RANDOMIZED PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL (VESPER-5)
- Q3 2028Long-term Efficacy and Safety of Cagrilintide s.c. 2.4 mg in Combination With Semaglutide s.c. 2.4 mg (CagriSema 2.4 mg/2.4 mg) Once Weekly Versus Placebo in Participants With Obesity
- Q4 2028A Phase 3b Study to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Different Retatrutide Dose Escalation Schemes in Participants Without Type 2 Diabetes Who Have Obesity or Overweight: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Trial
Clinical MilestonesView all 18Hide
- 2026-09-08EVALUATING THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF MET097, A FULLY-BIASED ULTRA LONG-ACTING GLP-1RA, IN PEOPLE WITH OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY AND TYPE 2 DIABETES: A PHASE 3, MULTI-CENTER RANDOMIZED PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL (VESPER-5)Results expected Q4 2027
- 2026-07-16A Novel Precision Medicine Approach For Obesity: A Randomized, Multi-Center TrialResults expected Q4 2027
- 2026-06-09A Phase 3b Study to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Different Retatrutide Dose Escalation Schemes in Participants Without Type 2 Diabetes Who Have Obesity or Overweight: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind TrialResults expected Q4 2028
- 2026-06-02Weight Maintenance in Adolescents With Obesity; Long-Term Treatment With Semaglutide s.c.2.4 mg Once-weeklyResults expected Q4 2028
- 2026-05-15Efficacy, Metabolic and Cardiovascular Effects of Liraglutide in Children Aged 6-12 Years With Severe Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Advanced Echocardiographic AssessmentResults expected Q2 2027
- 2026-08-10Effect of Amino Acids on Hepatic Fat Content in Adolescents (AMINOS Study)Completed
- 2026-06-30A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial: Multiple Independent Sub-studies of Setmelanotide in Patients With POMC/PCSK1, LEPR, NCOA1(SRC1), or SH2B1 Gene Variants in the Melanocortin-4 Receptor PathwayCompleted
- 2026-06-16A Master Protocol to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of LY3437943 Once Weekly in Participants With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Who Have Obesity or Overweight: A Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled TrialCompleted
- 2026-06-12A Phase 3 Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of HRS-7535 Tablets in Subjects With Overweight or ObesityCompleted
- 2026-06-01Efficacy and Safety of Ixekizumab or Ixekizumab Concomitantly Administered With Tirzepatide in Adult Participants With Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis and Obesity or Overweight: A Phase 3b, Randomized, Multicenter, Open-Label Study (TOGETHER-PsO)Completed
- 2028-06-01Improving Access to Anti-Obesity Pharmacotherapy for Pediatric Obesity: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of PhentermineWithdrawn
- 2028-03-01A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind, Double-dummy, Parallel-group, Active Drug and Placebo-controlled, Safety, Efficacy and Superiority of Sibutramine IR/Topiramate XR in Overweight Adults With Comorbidities/ObesityWithdrawn
- 2028-01-17A Placebo-controlled Comparability Study to Compare Two Presentations of CagriSema in Participants With Overweight or ObesityWithdrawn
- 2027-11-01Parent Toddler Obesity Study (PTOS)Withdrawn
- 2026-11-30Megestrol Acetate Versus Liraglutide Plus Megestrol Acetate in Obese Women with Endometrial Atypical Hyperplasia: a Randomized Controlled Pilot Clinical StudyWithdrawn
Industry & MarketView all 12Hide
- 2026-10-15Counterfeit weight loss pens worth £2 million seized by MHRA and West Midlands PoliceRegulatory news · MHRA (gov.uk)
- 2026-11-02New diabetes implant uses electricity to lower blood sugar and promote weight lossIndustry · Science Daily
- 2026-10-30Retatrutide Tops Ozempic for Weight Loss, A1c in T2DIndustry · Medscape Medical News
- 2026-10-28STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about 340B battles, new results for a Lilly weight loss drug, and moreIndustry · STAT News
- 2026-10-27Menopausal Hormone Therapy May Boost GLP-1 Weight LossIndustry · MedPage Today
- 2028-06-01ClinicalImproving Access to Anti-Obesity Pharmacotherapy for Pediatric Obesity: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of PhentermineWithdrawn
- 2028-03-01ClinicalA Phase 3, Randomized, Double-blind, Double-dummy, Parallel-group, Active Drug and Placebo-controlled, Safety, Efficacy and Superiority of Sibutramine IR/Topiramate XR in Overweight Adults With Comorbidities/ObesityWithdrawn
- 2028-01-17ClinicalA Placebo-controlled Comparability Study to Compare Two Presentations of CagriSema in Participants With Overweight or ObesityWithdrawn
- 2027-11-01ClinicalParent Toddler Obesity Study (PTOS)Withdrawn
- 2026-11-30ClinicalMegestrol Acetate Versus Liraglutide Plus Megestrol Acetate in Obese Women with Endometrial Atypical Hyperplasia: a Randomized Controlled Pilot Clinical StudyWithdrawn
- 2026-11-02IndustryNew diabetes implant uses electricity to lower blood sugar and promote weight lossIndustry · Science Daily
- 2026-10-30IndustryRetatrutide Tops Ozempic for Weight Loss, A1c in T2DIndustry · Medscape Medical News
- 2026-10-28IndustrySTAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about 340B battles, new results for a Lilly weight loss drug, and moreIndustry · STAT News
- 2026-10-27IndustryMenopausal Hormone Therapy May Boost GLP-1 Weight LossIndustry · MedPage Today
- 2026-10-23IndustryHormone therapy, GLP-1 equal sustainable weight loss in menopauseIndustry · Healio Cardiology
Therapeutic landscape
Therapies with a regulatory footing for this condition, alongside the wider set of agents co-studied with it in the literature.
Original application approval — Adults Wegovy is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical… (2022)
Original application approval — Type 2 diabetes mellitus Mounjaro is indicated for the treatment of adults with insuffici… (2022)
Original application approval — Alli is indicated for weight loss in adults who are overweight (body mass index, BMI, 28… (2007)
Clinical trials
The current development programme across all trial phases.
Regulatory timeline
Drug regulatory events matched to this condition by indication — EMA.
European Medicines Agency (CC BY 4.0). Events are matched to this condition by drug indication text — approvals/updates for drugs indicated for it, not disease-specific acts.
Research activity
Key research shaping understanding of this disease, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.
Major themes8
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 226
- Obesity24
- Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists22
- Weight Loss19
- Anti-Obesity Agents13
- Glucagon-Like Peptide 110
- Incretins9
- Cardiovascular Diseases7
Leading journals6
- Diabetes, obesity & metabolism8
- Molecular metabolism6
- The New England journal of medicine4
- Diabetes care3
- International journal of obesity (2005)3
- JAMA3
Leading researchers8
- Wadden TA5
- Holst JJ4
- Drucker DJ3
- Li Y3
- Müller TD3
- Nauck MA3
- Batterham RL2
- Blouet C2
Affiliations (unnormalised)6
- University of Copenhagen5
- Harvard Medical School3
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity3
- Massachusetts General Hospital3
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research3
- Perelman School of Medicine3
Related conditions
Diseases frequently studied alongside this one. Number shows shared papers.
Disease profile
A grounded synthesis of the condition — overview, causes, mechanism, risk factors and current standard of care.
Weight loss is a decrease in existing body weight. In the supplied literature, it is discussed mainly as a therapeutic goal in obesity and type 2 diabetes, where reducing weight is used to lower health risks and improve metabolic outcomes.
The grounding links weight loss to changes in energy balance, appetite, body composition, and energy metabolism. It also connects weight loss to incretin biology, including GLP-1 and GIP signaling, which influences insulin secretion and glucagon regulation and is relevant to drug effects on body weight.
The supplied material does not support risk factors for weight loss as a standalone condition. It instead describes factors associated with obesity and cardiovascular risk, such as lack of physical activity, dietary habits, elevated blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidaemias, age, and male gender.
Weight loss is generally approached with lifestyle management, medication, and surgical interventions when used therapeutically in obesity. The literature specifically mentions GLP-1 receptor agonists and related incretin-based therapies, including liraglutide, semaglutide, exenatide, and tirzepatide, as drug classes associated with weight-loss effects.
AI-generated summary grounded in MeSH and 6 peer-reviewed sources. Informational only — not medical advice. Generated 2026-07-07.
Reference
Authoritative identity, definition & identifiers.
Decrease in existing BODY WEIGHT.
- Disease identity & definition — NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), public domain
- Clinical trials — ClinicalTrials.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
- Research activity — Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI) + OpenAlex-derived paper links
- Related entities are derived from literature co-mention (studied together) — associative, not causal.