Novo Nordisk highlighted intensifying competition, particularly in international markets. The company said that by the end of the decade, more than one in three obesity patients could be using oral weight-loss medicines rather than injectable therapies.
Eli Lilly underlined the continued strength of its injectable portfolio, led by the blockbuster obesity and diabetes drug Mounjaro. At the conference, Lilly showcased its oral GLP-1 candidate, orforglipron, positioning it as a potential maintenance therapy after patients achieve weight loss with injectables, and as an alternative to daily pills.The company is expected to seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration in 2026. Unlike earlier oral GLP-1 medicines, orforglipron does not require strict timing around food intake, a factor Lilly says could improve adherence.
Drugmakers are also increasingly positioning GLP-1 therapies as long-term cardiometabolic medicines. Beyond weight reduction, companies are emphasising potential benefits for heart health and the lowering of long-term risks associated with diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
The second major theme at the conference is artificial intelligence. AI has moved decisively from experimentation to core infrastructure, with a focus on real-world deployment rather than pilot projects.
A prominent example is the $1 billion joint AI drug-discovery initiative between Nvidia and Eli Lilly, which aims to shorten research and development timelines and fundamentally change how new medicines are identified and developed.
The emphasis is now on using advanced computing, automation and data-driven models to accelerate molecular design, testing and clinical development at scale.
