Lilly and Novo Pursue Amylin Drugs as Next Obesity Frontier
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are developing amylin-based treatments as the next major biological target beyond GLP-1 drugs for obesity and diabetes.
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are placing major bets on amylin, a hormone naturally produced alongside insulin, as pharmaceutical giants race to identify the next generation of obesity and diabetes treatments after the GLP-1 drug boom reshaped medicine.
Amylin functions as a separate biological mechanism from GLP-1 receptors, offering drugmakers a distinct lever to target weight loss and blood sugar regulation. Both companies see this pathway as a way to build on — or potentially compete with — the blockbuster success of GLP-1 therapies like Ozempic and Mounjaro, which have already transformed the weight-loss market.
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The strategic pivot toward amylin signals that the obesity drug race is broadening well beyond the GLP-1 class that currently dominates prescriptions and investor attention. By targeting different hormonal pathways, companies hope to address patients who respond poorly to existing drugs or who need combination approaches to achieve greater weight reduction.
The development push reflects a wider industry recognition that no single mechanism may serve all patients optimally, and that the market for obesity and metabolic disease treatments remains far from saturated. Lilly and Novo, already the two dominant players in GLP-1 therapies, appear determined to maintain their lead by moving early into the next wave of metabolic medicine.
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