MIAMI– One of the serious problems in the American population is obesity, which has become one of the health scourges in recent decades.
Various companies in the US compete to take over the weight loss drug market, which could reach $100 billion by the end of 2030.
One of the big bettors has been Metsera, a company created in 2022 by the venture capital company ARCH Venture and the investment company Population Health Partners.
The company is currently developing injectable and oral drugs to treat obesity, based on the GLP-1 mechanism and other pathways.
Its flagship product has brought it profits of $290 million with investments from SoftBank and Mubadala Capital.
The company’s GLP-1 portfolio is led by an injectable in early-stage trials.
Other companies in the competition
“There are other big companies like Viking in injectables and oral drugs, as well as Structure in small molecules,” said CEO Clive Meanwell.
“I think our goal over the next 12 months is to reach those kinds of standards and milestones,” Meanwell stressed.
The lucrative slimming market is currently led by Novo Nordisk NEW_B y Eli Lilly LLY with the new GLP-1 drugs Wegovy and Zepbound, respectively.
Metsera’s $290 million funding is the total amount of capital raised to date from a syndicate of leading healthcare investors and is comprised of a seed round plus a series A financing, Meanwell explained.
Meanwell was CEO of The Medicines Company for nearly two decades, which was acquired by Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis. NOVEN for 9.7 billion dollars (link) in 2019.
He then founded Population Health in 2020 with former Pfizer CEO PFE Ian Read.
Side effects
All weight loss medications and therapies have side effects.
The most common side effects are gastrointestinal discomfort, such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation.
In rare cases, the medications have been associated with pancreatitis and gallbladder problems, and some patients may experience low blood sugar while taking them.
Studies in animals have linked this type of medication with thyroid tumors and, although they have not been observed in humans yet, according to pharmaceutical reports.
Researchers advise against its consumption by people who have suffered from thyroid cancer known as medullary carcinoma. or have an affected family member.
Source: Various sources
