Obesity Video Recap—January 5, 2026

This Obesity video recap highlights major Phase 3 readouts, new regulatory milestones, competitive shifts in GLP-1 access, and accelerating innovation across injectables, oral agents, and next-generation metabolic platforms.

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Week 9–15 December 2025
Weeks 16 December–5 January 2025

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Transcript

Welcome to this episode of Obesity Updates, covering recent breakthroughs in the field. Brought to you by LucidQuest.

Retatrutide met all primary and key secondary endpoints in TRIUMPH-4 for adults with obesity or overweight and knee osteoarthritis without diabetes. Over 68 weeks, the 9 mg and 12 mg doses led to up to 28.7% mean weight loss and up to 75.8% reduction in WOMAC pain versus placebo. Gastrointestinal adverse events were consistent with incretin therapies. Seven additional Phase 3 readouts are expected in 2026.

Mazdutide posted two Phase 3 results in Nature from DREAMS-1 monotherapy and DREAMS-2 add-on in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes. The drug was superior to placebo or dulaglutide for HbA1c and weight. DREAMS-1 reported up to minus 2.02% HbA1c. Safety was mainly gastrointestinal with no severe hypoglycemia reported.

Envlo, enavogliflozin, showed metabolism-focused signals against dapagliflozin in a 24 week China Phase 3 in 340 adults with type 2 diabetes on metformin. Envlo 0.3 mg achieved larger HOMA-IR reduction, minus 1.57 versus minus 1.21, and a greater decline in fasting C peptide. Results were presented as a poster at ObesityWeek 2025. The sponsor positions the drug for broader metabolic benefits, interpretation depends on design and confounding control.

Boehringer Ingelheim advanced triple agonist BI 3034701 to mid stage after a randomized, placebo controlled Phase 1 in healthy volunteers and people with overweight or obesity showed favorable safety and tolerability with encouraging weight loss signals.

A provisional patent filing from LIR Life Sciences outlines a needle free GLP and GIP delivery platform aiming for transdermal or lingual administration via patches, creams, or gels. The filing supports an ongoing preclinical program and targets reduced injection burden.

Novo Nordisk filed an FDA NDA for once weekly CagriSema, a fixed dose of cagrilintide 2.4 mg plus semaglutide 2.4 mg, supported by REDEFINE 1 and 2 Phase 3 trials over 68 weeks. Efficacy and safety were consistent with the GLP 1 class. FDA review is expected in 2026.

In the oral obesity drug race, a recent factbox highlights leaders across Lilly, Novo, Structure, Merck with Hansoh, AstraZeneca with Eccogene, Roche, Viking, and Pfizer. Program timelines and recent trial performance, including orforglipron and other small molecule GLP 1 agents, underscore rapid pipeline expansion.

The FDA approved oral Wegovy for chronic weight management, the first oral GLP 1 in this setting, dosed once daily. A pivotal trial showed 16.6% average weight loss. United States launch is expected in early January 2026, which may influence pricing and formulary access.

Lupin secured India rights to the fortnightly GLP 1 receptor agonist bofanglutide through a license, supply, and distribution deal with Gan and Lee for type 2 diabetes and weight management. Fortnightly dosing is positioned as a convenience advantage, with efficacy described as comparable to weekly GLP 1 RAs by the company.

MEDI&GENE announced a collaboration with Lilly under ExploR&D and Catalyze360 to advance a next generation obesity asset to clinical readiness. The goal is long term weight and lean mass maintenance through novel pathways.

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Why It Matters

GLP-1-based and multi-agonist approaches continue to expand across obesity and T2D with Phase 3 efficacy and functional outcomes.
Oral options and extended-interval injectables broaden access and may ease supply and adherence constraints.
Regulatory steps, including FDA approval of oral semaglutide for weight loss and CagriSema’s NDA, reshape near-term treatment mix.
Asia-originated innovations, including mazdutide and bofanglutide, are influencing global standards and competition.
Platform and delivery advances, from triple agonists to needle-free systems, signal ongoing modality diversification.

🗓️ Explore weekly details and sources

Week 9–15 December 2025
Weeks 16 December–5 January 2025

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

FAQ

What did TRIUMPH-4 show for retatrutide?

Lilly reported TRIUMPH-4 met all primary and key secondary endpoints in obesity with knee OA, with up to 28.7% mean weight loss and substantial WOMAC pain reduction over 68 weeks; GI AEs were common, in line with incretins [1].

How did mazdutide perform vs comparators in T2D?

Innovent’s DREAMS-1/2 showed superior HbA1c and weight reductions versus placebo or dulaglutide over 24–28 weeks, with mainly GI AEs and no severe hypoglycemia reported [2].

What distinguishes CagriSema from current GLP-1 options?

It is a fixed-dose weekly combination of semaglutide and cagrilintide; Novo submitted an FDA NDA supported by REDEFINE trials showing robust weight loss and class-consistent tolerability (endpoint details per company) [6].

Is there an approved oral GLP-1 for weight loss now?

Yes. The FDA approved a pill form of Wegovy for chronic weight management, with trials showing 16.6% mean weight loss; US launch expected early Jan 2026 [8].

What is unique about bofanglutide in India?

Lupin licensed a fortnightly GLP-1 RA, aiming to halve injection frequency versus weekly options while maintaining efficacy per company communications [9].

Which oral obesity candidates are notable beyond Novo’s pill?

Reuters highlights Lilly’s orforglipron and multiple small-molecule GLP-1 programs from Structure, AstraZeneca/Eccogene, Roche, Viking, Merck/Hansoh, and Pfizer’s discontinued danuglipron path [7].

Entities / Keywords

Eli Lilly; Retatrutide; TRIUMPH-4; WOMAC; Innovent Biologics; Mazdutide; DREAMS-1; DREAMS-2; GLORY-1; Daewoong; Envlo (enavogliflozin); Dapagliflozin (Farxiga); Boehringer Ingelheim; BI 3034701; Gubra; LIR Life Sciences; transdermal GLP/GIP; Novo Nordisk; CagriSema; Semaglutide; Cagrilintide; Wegovy oral; Lupin; Gan & Lee; Bofanglutide; MEDI&GENE; Lilly ExploR&D; Catalyze360; Orforglipron; GLP-1; GIP; GCG.