Drugmakers are currently developing a new wave of obesity treatments as they navigate the introduction of GLP-1 pills and evolving patient payment structures. At the American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions, companies pitched various innovations, including drugs with fewer side effects, less frequent dosing schedules, and new targets beyond GLP-1s. Market leaders Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have both introduced new GLP-1 pills this year. Novo Nordisk reported that prescriptions for its Wegovy pill reached over 3 million within five months of launch. Lilly currently leads the market for injections and is developing eloralintide, an amylin analogue currently in Phase 3 trials. Lilly also presented Phase 3 data for retatrutide, a triple-acting drug that produced an average weight loss of 28% at the highest dose. Several companies are pursuing different delivery methods and targets to compete with the current leaders. Pfizer unveiled mid-stage data for a shot acquired through its acquisition of Metsera, which it believes could be administered monthly. Amgen is testing a drug that could be given monthly or quarterly, which the company suggests could be an advantage for patients. Other companies, including Structure Therapeutics and AstraZeneca, shared mid-stage data for GLP-1 pills expected to reach the market around 2029. Also, Zealand Pharma and Roche are developing petrelintide, an amylin drug that showed fewer instances of vomiting than a placebo in mid-stage data. While these new entrants aim to capture a share of a market involving approximately 890 million obese people globally, analysts note that pricing remains a primary question. To compete with one another and lower-cost compounding pharmacies, Lilly and Novo Nordisk have reduced prices for their weight-loss shots over the past year. Also, millions of seniors on Medicare will soon be able to access these medicines for $50 a month out of pocket.