The market for weight-loss and diabetes drugs is heading into its most disruptive phase yet. After turning Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound into a $54 billion global category in 2024, the industry is preparing for a wave of new entrants in 2026 that could be longer acting, easier to administer and, in several cases, available as oral pills. Advertisement

At the same time, semaglutide’s patent expiry across major emerging markets, including India, Brazil and China, is expected to open the field to generic manufacturers and sharply expand access. IQVIA data shows that demand for GLP-1 drugs has been rising at more than 40 percent annually across several countries, resulting in recurring shortages and prompting companies to accelerate pipeline development.

A series of next-generation

See Full Page