Demand for self-injection weight-loss drugs is soaring, leading to a race among contract drug manufacturers to expand their capacity to fill syringes. The obesity market could be worth $100 billion within a decade, according to analysts.
Companies are investing billions of dollars to build or expand factories that fill the injection pens used to administer these weight-loss treatments. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, the first of a new generation of obesity treatments, has seen a significant increase in sales since its launch in the United States in June 2021. Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro is also expected to be approved for weight-loss in the United States this year.
The injections, which belong to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists, have a promising market potential and are estimated to be worth up to $100 billion within a decade. WuXi Biologics CEO Chris Chen revealed that his company is in talks with clients to utilize pre-filled syringe capacity in a German factory they acquired in 2020. Catalent, another company in the race, is building significant pre-filled syringe capacity in Italy and the United States, with plans to come online in 2024.
The demand for contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) has increased, and numerous projects worth at least $3 billion have been announced by companies such as Lonza, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, and Vetter. However, despite efforts to increase manufacturing capacity, shortages are expected to persist into next year.
The Insight Partners predicts that the fill-finish market for these weight-loss drugs will more than double between 2019 and 2027, reaching $12.5 billion. The development of biologic drugs, some of which are injected, is also being boosted by the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. While capacity constraints may limit the growth of the obesity drug market, companies like Catalent and Thermo currently dominate the market due to their existing capabilities.
Overall, the demand for self-injection weight-loss drugs is skyrocketing, leading to significant investments and expansions by contract drug manufacturers. The obesity market shows great potential for growth, and companies are positioning themselves to capture a larger share of this lucrative market.