Weight-loss upkeep: The next GLP-1 innovation wave?

People using GLP-1 drugs are looking for ways to keep the weight off after treatment ends

What weight-loss maintenance means for GLP-1 users

• Many GLP-1 users regain weight after they stop taking the medication
• Food manufacturers are creating products to support weight control after GLP-1 use
• Typical discontinuation rates after one year range from 36% to 65%
• Stopping treatment remains common, especially among people without diabetes
• Oral GLP-1s could weaken demand for maintenance-focused products

Related questions

GLP-1 medicines are popular because they help people lose weight.

By quieting “food noise” — the constant stream of food-related thoughts — these drugs can give users much greater control over how much they eat.

But once people stop taking them, the food noise often returns, and many regain some or all of the weight they lost.

Can food companies fill the gap?

Brands that can help consumers keep the weight off are likely to do well, says Caroline Young, head of insights at the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD).

“Weight maintenance will always be the long-term goal after weight loss, so while GLP-1s are solving an immediate problem, the industry needs to make it easier for post-GLP-1 users to keep the weight off.”

Young says the food industry has several ways to respond.

New products are one option, but recipes, meal ideas and nutrition advice could also help consumers, she adds.

Apps and subscription services could also be used to support people once food noise returns.

Some companies are already developing products for consumers moving away from weight-loss drugs.

For example, Nestlé has created proprietary ingredient combinations designed to suppress appetite for people coming off the drugs. US health and fitness company Robard Corporation has also launched Biocare2, a beverage intended to help reduce appetite after GLP-1 use.

Could maintenance concerns slow GLP-1 growth?

Although GLP-1s remain highly popular, the challenge of keeping weight off after stopping treatment means they can be only a temporary solution for some users. Could that weaken the appeal of the market?

That is unlikely, says James Watson, partner and head of manufacturing for food and drink SMEs at consultancy Argon & Co. “We should expect some levels of churn and the market to become more segmented rather than a decline.”

According to Watson, one-year discontinuation rates typically range from 36% to 65%, and are even higher among people without diabetes.

However, because weight regain is common, many people are choosing to stay on the drugs long term rather than abandon them altogether.

“Regain is also the strongest clinical argument for staying on treatment, and it is shifting the framing from ‘course’ to ‘chronic therapy’,” Watson says.

He concludes that these issues are unlikely to slow the GLP-1 boom.

Oral GLP-1s may encourage longer use

The arrival of oral GLP-1s makes it easier for people to remain on treatment for longer. Michel Savini, associate partner for life sciences SMEs at Argon & Co, says that was one of the commercial reasons behind them.

“Pills remove quite a few of the frictions that make long-term use hard: no needles, no sharps disposal, no cold chain and a lower price entry point.”

He adds that many people already take daily pills and accept that they may use them indefinitely. In contrast, injections can feel like a finite treatment with an end point, which puts tablets in a stronger position.

Oral versions do not solve every issue. “There are some frictions that pills do not help with; for example, gastrointestinal side effects, which can be higher with orals, which is the second largest driver of discontinuation.”

Even so, many users of both pills and injections will simply stop once they reach their target weight. Watson says that is more of a mindset issue than a product issue.

Still, wider use of pills will likely make long-term treatment easier, which could reduce demand for products or services designed to prevent weight regain.

Weight-loss maintenance may become the next frontier

Weight-loss maintenance could be the next major area of GLP-1 innovation. Large companies are increasingly creating products aimed at helping people stop the drugs without regaining weight.

At the same time, many users do discontinue treatment, with the data showing that at least a third stop after just one year, and the figure is even higher when people with diabetes are excluded.

On the other hand, new developments in GLP-1s themselves, including pills, may make it easier for users to stay on treatment permanently. In the future, that could make weight-maintenance products less important.