Obesity isn’t as simple as just having too much fat- it actually alters a person’s basic biological state.
One Australian study put a group of overweight men and women on an extreme weight-loss regimen (500 to 550 calories per day for eight weeks), and then monitored their progress after the diet. The researchers found that even though study participants had lost weight, their basic metabolic state had been significantly altered compared to people who had never dieted in the first place.
Tara Parker-Pope in a New York Times article on the study says:
A gastric hormone called ghrelin, often dubbed the ‘hunger hormone,’ was about 20 percent higher than at the start of the study. Another hormone associated with suppressing hunger, peptide YY, was also abnormally low. Levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses hunger and increases metabolism, also remained lower than expected. A cocktail of other hormones associated with hunger and metabolism all remained significantly changed compared to pre-dieting levels.
Simply put, even though we are aware of the huge risks associated with excess body fat, physiologically we haven’t evolved in a way that allows us to naturally and easily shed weight. Our bodies interpret weight loss as an indication of hard times, go into survival mode, and do anything to waylay what is perceived as starvation.
Obesity Numbers Tipping the Scale Worldwide
Obesity has long since reached epidemic proportions—according to the WHO, in 2008, at least 2.8 million deaths were registered worldwide as a result of obesity, and this number has risen dramatically since then.
The significant risks inherent in obesity, coupled with the serious difficulties faced by those trying to lose (and keep off) weight are spurring significant growth in the Global Anti-Obesity Drugs Market, which is posting a CAGR of 39.43 percent from 2015-2019.
Despite the seemingly impressive growth rate, the anti-obesity drug market is a minefield for both drug developers and manufacturers, as well as consumers.
High Cost of Drug Development
The costs involved directly or indirectly with the development of drugs for obesity and its related conditions are high. Drug manufacturers invest extensively in R&D for these drugs, which directly affects their pricing.
This high cost is compounded by an unfavorable market response to the drugs because of the high cost of operations.
Alternative Treatments
Because of the cost, risks, and lack of reimbursement associated with obesity drugs, a lot of consumers are looking to alternative therapies for treatment. Other approaches include diet control, exercise, and gastric or bariatric surgery, either alone or in combination.
Adverse Side Effects
Several of the anti-obesity drugs on the market are associated with some serious side effects and have only been approved for short-term use. Adverse side effects are primarily cardiovascular and pulmonary, and include high blood pressure, fast heart rate and palpitations.
Additionally, the stimulants used in some of these drugs can lead to other effects, like closed-angle glaucoma, drug addiction, restlessness, agitation, and insomnia.
Multiple Drug Recalls
Consistent safety and efficacy—two things that you generally want in your drugs—seem to be out of grasp of many manufacturers in the Global Anti-Obesity Drugs Market.
Multiple recalls have plagued the marketplace in recent years:
- In 2014, GlaxoSmithKline recalled its weight-loss drug Alli from the market in the US. In the same year, the FDA delayed action on Orexigen’s anti-obesity drug by three months.
- In 2012, AstraZeneca ended the collaborative development of anti-obesity compound AZD2820 with Palatin Technologies following a serious adverse event during the phase I trial.
- In 2010, Abbott Laboratories pulled its diet pill Meridia off shelves in the US after it was found to be related to heart attacks and strokes.
- In 2008, Acomplia by Sanofi was taken off the European market because of possible links to suicide and depression.
These worrying recalls have created a troubling landscape for any vendors seeking to develop drugs in this sphere.
Strategic Alliances will be the Saving Grace for Obesity Drugs
In order to navigate this problem-riddled market, vendors are forming strategic alliances to increase their share of the pie:
- In 2013, MedImmune, AstraZeneca’s biologics arm, and NGM Biopharmaceuticals announced an agreement to discover and develop therapies for diabetes and obesity.
- In the same year, Sorrento Therapeutics announced its collaboration with Scripps Research Institute for the development of an antibody/vaccine to treat or inhibit obesity and other metabolic disorders.
- Similarly, in 2012, ScinoPharm provided contract manufacturing services for Vivus’s newly approved anti-obesity drug Qsymia.
These strategic alliances will help fuel the development of new drugs to help combat obesity on a global scale.
