What’s Ahead for Weight Loss Drugs?
Weight loss drugs exploded into the public eye this year, and 2024 will bring more change to the evolving market. The drugs skyrocketed in popularity in 2023 as they helped patients shed significant weight, despite hefty price tags, mixed insurance coverage and a handful of unpleasant side effects.
Demand for the drugs is unlikely to slow down in 2024, especially as treatments gradually become more accessible. Much of Wall Street believes the weight loss drug market will only expand, with some analysts projecting that it will be worth $100 billion by the end of the decade. Goldman Sachs analysts expect 15 million U.S. adults to be on obesity medications by 2030.
But next year, investors will be watching how the dominant players in the market, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, navigate supply issues plaguing their treatments. Patients have been struggling to get their hands on Novo Nordisk’s weight loss injection Wegovy, its diabetes treatment Ozempic, and Eli Lilly’s diabetes injection Mounjaro. Analysts expect supply constraints to improve but note that the broader issue will take years to resolve.
Excerpted from CNBC
