Obesity Video Recap—December 9, 2025

This biweekly obesity video recap covers major GLP-1 therapeutic advances, policy shifts, and clinical developments shaping obesity care.

🎯 Watch Our Video Summary Capturing Obesity News from the Last Two Weeks

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Week 25 November–1 December 2025
Week 2–8 December 2025

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Transcript

Welcome to the latest edition of Obesity Updates, covering breakthroughs in the past two weeks. Brought to you by LucidQuest.

Gan & Lee has initiated Phase 3 of its GRADUAL-3 trial in China, testing its once-monthly GLP-1 receptor agonist, bofanglutide, for obesity. This 24-week trial targets adults with overweight or obesity and is designed to assess weight change. The key goal of the trial is to evaluate the efficacy of this longer-acting formulation, which could lead to better maintenance of weight loss and increased adherence due to fewer injections. Full results from the trial will be crucial in shaping prescriber preferences and payer decisions.

Novo Nordisk’s amycretin, a dual GLP-1 and amylin agonist, has met its primary endpoints in a Phase 2 trial for Type 2 diabetes. The trial, conducted with 448 adults on metformin with or without an SGLT2 inhibitor, compared weekly subcutaneous (SC) and daily oral regimens over 36 weeks. Amycretin demonstrated statistically significant reductions in HbA1c and weight, with mild to moderate gastrointestinal side effects reported. These promising results position amycretin as a potential treatment option in the management of Type 2 diabetes, pending further trials.

Innovent has announced that its 9 mg dose of mazdutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, has been accepted for supplementary filing by the NMPA in China. This follows the completion of the GLORY-2 Phase 3 trial, which demonstrated a significant mean weight loss of approximately 18.6% at week 60 compared to placebo. Additional metabolic improvements were also observed, and the drug was well-tolerated. The NMPA’s acceptance of this filing may open the door for wider access to this treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe obesity.

Novo Nordisk has filed for a US sNDA for its higher-dose Wegovy 7.2 mg under an expedited review pathway. The filing is based on data from the STEP UP Phase 3 trial, which compared the 7.2 mg dose to the standard 2.4 mg and placebo. The study found that the higher dose led to significantly greater mean weight loss compared to the lower dose, potentially offering a more effective treatment option for those struggling with obesity.

The World Health Organization has issued its first global guideline for the use of GLP-1 medications in treating adult obesity. The guideline, released in December 2025, recommends conditional use of liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide in adults, excluding pregnancy. The WHO also emphasizes the importance of combining GLP-1 medications with intensive behavioral interventions for better outcomes. This guideline marks a significant step in addressing obesity as a chronic disease and may influence prescriber choices globally.

Novo Nordisk is planning a large global pediatric trial to study its next-generation obesity treatment, CagriSema, in children. The trial will involve approximately 460 children aged eight and older and will compare CagriSema with Wegovy, cagrilintide, and a placebo over a 68-week period. This trial is part of Novo’s strategy to explore the potential of higher doses and longer-term efficacy of CagriSema, following less-than-expected results in adult trials.

Hanmi Pharmaceuticals has received a rapid review designation from the South Korean MFDS for its novel obesity treatment, epeglenatide. The GIFT (Global Innovative Fast Track) designation offers faster timelines for review, which could expedite the approval process. This recognition highlights epeglenatide’s potential as an innovative treatment for obesity in South Korea, where Phase 3 data from a 40-week study have already shown promising results.

Lilly’s Mounjaro has been added to China’s National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, effective January 1, 2026. This follows the earlier listing of Ozempic and provides broader access to Mounjaro for the large Type 2 diabetes population in China. Mounjaro is also marketed for obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in China, further expanding its reach in the treatment of chronic conditions.
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Why It Matters

Global guidance and expedited reviews signal faster, broader access to GLP-1-based therapies.
Combination incretin and amylin biology is advancing, with SC and oral options nearing Phase 3.
China’s regulatory and reimbursement moves could reshape regional obesity and diabetes treatment landscapes.
Higher-dose semaglutide and once-monthly regimens may shift adherence and outcomes if benefits outweigh tolerability.
Pediatric trials expand the addressable population, raising long-term evidence and policy questions.

🗓️ Explore weekly details and sources

Week 25 November–1 December 2025
Week 2–8 December 2025

📚 See the full Obesity archive on our research hub page.

FAQ

What is bofanglutide and how is it dosed in GRADUAL-3?

Bofanglutide (GZR18) is a GLP-1 RA given once monthly. GRADUAL-3 evaluates 24-week maintenance and adherence in adults with overweight or obesity in China [1].

How did amycretin perform in people with type 2 diabetes?

In a 36-week Phase 2, both weekly SC and daily oral amycretin drove significant HbA1c and weight reductions vs placebo, with mainly GI adverse events, per Novo [2].

What supports Innovent’s mazdutide 9 mg filing?

The GLORY-2 Phase 3 met primary and key secondary endpoints in Chinese adults with moderate-to-severe obesity, with reported ~18.6% mean weight loss at week 60 and metabolic benefits [3].

What distinguishes Wegovy 7.2 mg from 2.4 mg in STEP UP?

Novo reports greater average weight loss and higher proportions reaching ≥25% loss with 7.2 mg vs 2.4 mg over 72 weeks in adults without diabetes; GI AEs more common at 7.2 mg [4].

What does WHO now recommend on GLP-1s for obesity?

Conditional use in adults, excluding pregnancy, alongside intensive behavioral interventions, with emphasis on equity, affordability and system readiness [5].

When does China reimburse Mounjaro and for which indication?

From 01 Jan for type 2 diabetes under the national list, expanding access while likely lowering unit price via negotiation [8].

Entities / Keywords

Bofanglutide; Gan & Lee; GRADUAL-1/2/3; GLP-1 RA; amycretin; Novo Nordisk; amylin; Innovent Biologics; mazdutide; GLORY-2; NMPA; Wegovy 7.2 mg; FDA sNDA; WHO guideline; liraglutide; semaglutide; tirzepatide; CagriSema; cagrilintide; Hanmi Pharmaceutical; epeglenatide; MFDS GIFT; Eli Lilly; Mounjaro; NRDL; China; South Korea; US; obesity; type 2 diabetes.