How a Shift Towards Oral Medications Impacts GLP-1s

The GLP-1 landscape is a fast-evolving sector of the industry. The medications became popular only a few years ago when they were approved for weight-loss treatments. Since then, sales of the drugs have sky rocketed.

Along with rising sales, GLP-1s are a major focus for R&D teams. Major pharma companies are developing new versions of the medication that are easier for patients to use, while also funding research into areas outside of weight-loss where they may also be effective.

Pharmaceutical Executive spoke with Dr. Bo Liang, chief medical officer at CORXEL, about the trajectory of GLP-1s. Dr. Liang previously worked at Novo Nordisk, where he lead global clinical development and regulatory submission for semaglutide. During the conversation, he spoke about recent developments with the medications and where he sees the sector moving in the coming years.

Pharmaceutical Executive: How will a shift towards oral medications impact the GLP-1 space?
Dr. Bo Liang: The shift toward oral treatments will continue to accelerate, primarily because oral delivery addresses what I identified as the second largest unmet need in obesity — convenience and adherence. The obesity market is increasingly behaving like a consumer market, and most patients in that market are not accustomed to injectables. They prefer oral options, and I believe small molecule oral therapies will be the long-term winners in this space.

If you look at the two oral products already on the market, the commercial uptake has been quite remarkable — and that momentum is a clear signal of where patient preference is heading.