Indeed, seven doctors who spoke with Fortune say the preponderance of medical trials so far show that generally, people who stop taking the drugs regain most of the weight they've lost within about a year

Currently available treatment with proven outcomes Semaglutide FDA-approved for diabetes (Ozempic), obesity (Wegovy), and CV risk reduction with 7+ years of clinical and post-marketing data Cardiovascular risk reduction Semaglutide SELECT trial demonstrated 20% MACE reduction in 17,604 patients -- the first anti-obesity drug with proven cardiovascular benefit Maximum weight loss potential Retatrutide Phase 2 data showed 24.2% weight loss at 48 weeks with weight curves still declining, though Phase 3 confirmation is required Metabolic liver disease (MASLD/MASH) Retatrutide Glucagon receptor agonism directly promotes hepatic fat oxidation, a mechanistic advantage for liver-specific outcomes Oral administration preference Semaglutide Only incretin-class drug available as an oral tablet (Rybelsus), with higher-dose oral formulations under development Type 2 diabetes with established treatment guidelines Semaglutide Integrated into clinical guidelines with multiple approved doses and formulations, extensive comparative data, and guideline positioning Continue Your Research Get comparison updates We publish new head-to-head comparisons regularly

This will likely make it very difficult going forward for companies relying on increased bariatric surgery volumes for growth, like Teleflex (TFX) or Allurion (ALUR)
Various dietary patternsincluding Mediterranean, DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), plant-based, and moderate carbohydrate restrictioncan support weight management when implemented with appropriate caloric deficits
These findings support their role as a cornerstone therapy in the management of heart failure across the entire clinical spectrum ( Table 1 )