Pfizer’s Obesity Push: Can Berobenatide Take Market Share?
Kinjel Shah
Wed, August 19, 2026 at 9:14 p.m. GMT+5:30
5 min read
The global obesity market is emerging as one of the largest growth opportunities in pharmaceuticals. The market is projected to grow dramatically, reaching nearly $114 billion by 2030 Eli Lilly’s LLY Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s NVO Wegovy are the most popular GLP-1 drugs used to treat obesity
To take a share of this market, Pfizer PFE has made a significant strategic move to participate through its 2025 acquisition of Metsera and development of a broad obesity pipeline. Pfizer’s obesity portfolio includes injectables with the potential for monthly or longer dosing, once-daily orals and other novel combinations
The most important asset added from the Metsera deal is berobenatide (MET-097i), a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist that is in phase III development for chronic weight management
While Zepbound and Wegovy are weekly injections, berobenatide starts off as a weekly injection and then switches to a monthly injection. Berobenatide is designed for monthly maintenance dosing
Data from phase IIb VESPER studies on berobenatide showed that the candidate delivers meaningful weight loss while maintaining a favorable tolerability profile following the transition from weekly to monthly dosing
Pfizer plans an extensive phase III program for berobenatide in 2026. Pfizer plans to start more than 20 obesity studies in 2026, including 10 phase III studies for berobenatide for obesity and obesity-related comorbidities, including knee osteoarthritis and obstructive sleep apnea. Three phase III studies on berobenatide have already begun. Pfizer plans to soon start a phase III study evaluating participants switching from approved weekly therapies to monthly berobenatide
Pfizer is targeting the first of a series of potential approvals for berobenatide in 2028. Pfizer is also evaluating berobenatide in combination with an ultra-long-acting amylin analog, PF’3945, as a monthly medicine in phase II studies with additional data expected later this year
Can Pfizer Carve Out a Share in the Obesity Market?
Pfizer is a late entrant in the obesity market, which is heavily dominated by Lilly and Novo Nordisk. LLY and NVO already enjoy enormous commercial scale and brand recognition in the obesity space
Moreover, to maintain their prowess in the lucrative obesity market, both Novo Nordisk and Lilly are developing several next-generation, more powerful and more convenient GLP-1-based treatments, including oral options and multi-acting candidates. Both Lilly and Novo Nordisk have also launched oral GLP-1 pills for obesity called Foundayo and Wegovy pill, respectively
