Danone targets consumers taking weight loss drugs with new drink

By Jessica DiNapoli

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Danone is introducing an Oikos brand drink targeting U.S. consumers using weight loss medications such as Wegovy, pledging the dairy-based beverage helps address the common concern of retaining muscle.

Patients on GLP-1 medications like Zepbound often shed valuable muscle rather than fat, worrying doctors and requiring diet changes, such as eating more protein.

Danone’s new drink, called Oikos Fusion, has nutrients such as vitamin D and whey protein that the French company says help build and maintain muscle.

Danone is the latest food maker seizing the opportunity to sell new products to consumers dropping weight with GLP-1s, which users usually inject and are sometimes called “the shot.”

The market is set to grow as drug makers look to develop