Earlier in 2026, The National Center for Health Statistics released obesity-related reports that revealed an estimated 40% of U.S. adults and 21% of U.S. children are living with obesity. Of those, nearly 10% of those adults and 7% of those children are experiencing severe obesity. Because obesity commonly coexists with other debilitating conditions and contributes to significant mobility, the use of pharmacologic weight management therapies has increased recently, particularly among patients who are reluctant to opt for surgery.
Today, we are taking a look at the latest regarding pharmacologic weight management in relation to clinical guidance, FDA approvals, and clinical trials.
Current Weight Management Guidance
- Medical Weight Management for Optimization of Cardiovascular Health
- American College of Cardiology
- June 2025
- Adult Weight Management
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- October 2022
- Exercise, Diet, and Weight Management During Cancer Treatment
- American Society of Clinical Oncology
- May 2022
- Role of Weight Management in the Treatment of Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- American Thoracic Society
- October 2018
Recent FDA Approvals for Weight Management
Below are the medications recently approved by the FDA that we anticipate being incorporated into future clinical guidelines:
- Orforglipron (Foundayo)
- Eli Lilly
- Approved: April 2026
- Foundayo is indicated in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in adults with obesity or adults with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition.
- Semaglutide (Wegovy HD)
- Novo Nordisk
- Approved: March 2026
- Wegovy HD is indicated for weight loss and long-term maintenance of weight loss for certain adult patients.
- Semaglutide (Wegovy)
- Novo Nordisk
- Approved: December 2025
- New formulation as a once-daily pill for weight management and cardiovascular risk reduction in people with obesity or who are overweight.
- Setmelanotide (Imcivree)
- Rhythm Pharmaceuticals
- Approved: December 2024
- Imcivree is indicated to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long-term in adults and pediatric patients aged four years and older with acquired hypothalamic obesity; two years and older with Bardet-Biedl syndrome; two years and older with pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 1 (PCSK1), or leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency confirmed by genetic testing demonstrating variants in POMC, PCSK1, or LEPR genes that are interpreted as pathogenic, likely pathogenic, or of uncertain significance.
Ongoing Clinical Trials Related to Weight Management
The following are ongoing, Phase 3 clinical trials based in the United States that we anticipate may impact future weight management clinical guidelines.
- AMAZE 3: A Research Study Investigating How Well the Medicine NNC0487-0111 Helps People With Excess Body Weight and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Not Treated With Positive Airway Pressure Lose Weight and Improve Sleep Apnoea (AMAZE 3)
- Sponsor: Novo Nordisk
- Anticipated Primary Completion: July 2028
- A Research Study to Look at How Two Different Doses of CagriSema and One Dose of Semaglutide Help People Living With Obesity With or Without Type 2 Diabetes Lose Weight
- Sponsor: Novo Nordisk
- Anticipated Primary Completion: February 2028
- Weight Loss in People Living With Overweight or Obesity Following Treatment With Cagrilintide (RENEW 1)
- Sponsor: Novo Nordisk
- Anticipated Primary Completion: May 2027
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