The evolving landscape of obesity pharmacotherapy
Summary
Obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease driven by complex interactions between genetic, environmental, neuroendocrine and behavioural factors. The advent of incretin-based therapies and the expansion to multi-receptor agonist peptides targeting glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), glucagon, and amylin receptors has transformed obesity treatment, demonstrating average weight loss of more than 20% in humans and improvements in a broad range of o
Content
# The evolving landscape of obesity pharmacotherapy
*Published: 2026 May 13*
Obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease driven by complex interactions between
genetic, environmental, neuroendocrine and behavioural factors. The advent of
incretin-based therapies and the expansion to multi-receptor agonist peptides
targeting glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic
polypeptide (GIP), glucagon, and amylin receptors has transformed obesity
treatment, demonstrating average weight loss of more than 20% in humans and
improvements in a broad range of obesity-related comorbidities. In this Review,
we trace the recent evolution of obesity pharmacotherapy from GLP1 receptor
agonists to next-generation multi-receptor agonists, alongside strategies that
incorporate oral formulations, weight-loss quality approaches and
tissue-specific drug targeting. We outline major translational and biological
challenges, identify key gaps for future research and discuss emerging
approaches aimed at achieving durable and scalable obesity treatment.
DOI: 10.1038/s41573-026-01427-1