Clarivate Companies to Watch Report Spotlights Seven Innovators Shaping the Next Generation of Obesity Therapies
New report examines novel mechanisms and emerging approaches advancing obesity treatment beyond today’s GLP-1 therapies
London, U.K., August 5, 2026 — Clarivate Plc (NYSE:CLVT), a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, today released its latest Companies to Watch report. The report, Companies to Watch 2026: Next Generation Obesity Therapies, spotlights seven emerging companies developing differentiated approaches to obesity treatment, from oral and ultra-long-acting therapies to muscle-preserving and non-incretin mechanisms.
Clarivate forecasts that the obesity market sales across major markets will increase from $5.5 billion in 2023 to $56.8 billion by 2033, reflecting growing diagnosis rates, broader access to pharmacotherapy and continued innovation in obesity management. As competition intensifies beyond first-generation GLP-1 therapies, the report provides life sciences organizations, investors and industry stakeholders with insights into the innovators poised to shape the next phase of obesity therapy development.
Anne Lecocq, Senior Vice President and General Manager, R&D, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Clarivate, said: “Obesity treatment is entering a new era of scientific momentum and evolving clinical expectations. While GLP-1 receptor agonists have transformed outcomes for many patients, the next wave of innovation is focused on addressing remaining challenges in durability, tolerability, convenience and lean mass preservation, while expanding benefits across a broader range of metabolic diseases. Our Companies to Watch report highlights the emerging innovators advancing these next-generation approaches and shaping the future of obesity care.”
Steffen-Sebastian Bolz, Chief Scientific Officer of Aphaia Pharma, said: “Current available therapeutics for obesity have delivered outstanding outcomes for patients. The industry is now focused on next-generation approaches that address key remaining treatment challenges, including achieving sustainable weight loss without weight regain, improving tolerability to enable long-term use, and expanding scalable access.”
Jon Rees, CEO and Co-founder of MitoRx Therapeutics, said: “As the limitations of appetite-suppressing therapies become better understood, the industry is increasingly focused on approaches that address the underlying metabolic dysfunction driving obesity. The Companies to Watch report highlights the innovators leading this shift and shaping the future of obesity treatment.”
Clarivate analysts reviewed deal activity, clinical trials, patent filings and market approvals to identify seven Companies to Watch in this space:
- Aphaia Pharma: developing oral formulations that simultaneously target multiple metabolic pathways rather than individual hormone receptors, aiming to restore a normal metabolic food response.
- Arecor Therapeutics: progressing two proprietary development portfolios in diabetes and obesity: an ultra-concentrated (500 U/mL) and ultra-rapid-acting “disruptor insulin” and an oral delivery platform initially focused on a GLP-1 RA.
- BioAge Labs: developing therapies for metabolic diseases by targeting the biology of human aging, including a brain-penetrant small-molecule NLRP3 inhibitor and apelin (APJ) agonists.
- D&D Pharmatech: advancing a diverse pipeline of therapeutics for metabolic, fibrotic and neurodegenerative diseases, including a dual agonist (GLP-1/glucagon) for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
- iBio: leverages AI-assisted platform and advanced computational biology to discover and develop therapies for obesity and cardiometabolic disease, including a potential first-in-class Activin E monoclonal antibody candidate.
- MitoRx Therapeutics: developing potential first-in-class small molecule metabolic modulators targeted to mitochondria for durable fat-selective monotherapeutic weight loss without lean mass loss in obesity
- Resalis Therapeutics: RNA-based therapies include its lead program RES-010 and aim to tackle the root causes of complex metabolic disorders based on non-coding RNA and lipid metabolism.
The report explores four key areas of innovation shaping the next generation of obesity therapies: oral treatments, ultra-long-acting approaches, muscle-preserving therapies and novel non-incretin mechanisms. It also examines the surge in industry investment, with deal activity nearly doubling between 2023 and 2024 as companies pursue differentiated technologies that can build on the success of today’s obesity treatments.
Through profiles of seven emerging innovators, the report highlights the scientific advances and commercial strategies redefining obesity management. As recognition of obesity as a major public health challenge continues to grow, these advances create significant opportunities for the pharmaceutical industry to address persistent unmet needs and improve long-term health outcomes for patients worldwide.
Learn more about the emerging innovations and seven companies shaping the future of obesity treatment in the full Companies to Watch 2026: Next Generation Obesity Therapies report, here.
Methodology
The Clarivate Companies to Watch 2026: Next Generation Obesity Therapies report uses Clarivate’s anticipatory intelligence methodology to identify emerging companies with a disproportionate likelihood of influencing future treatment paradigms, rather than focusing solely on current market leaders. The report is underpinned by a multi-dimensional, AI-enhanced and expert-validated framework that integrates scientific, clinical, intellectual property, financial and commercial signals to identify the innovators with the highest probability of reshaping the future of obesity therapeutics.
About Clarivate
Clarivate is a leading global provider of transformative intelligence. We offer enriched data, insights & analytics, workflow solutions and expert services in the areas of Academia & Government, Intellectual Property and Life Sciences & Healthcare. For more information, please visit clarivate.com.
Media Contact
Catherine Daniel
Director, External Communications, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Clarivate
