Obesity drugs for everyone – even for pets

The global weight-loss revolution enters a surreal new phase as a leading healthcare giant expands its blockbuster GLP-1 portfolio among humans and even beyond into the animal kingdom. By late 2026, a company launches new GLP-1 treatments in pill form.

The widespread availability of the drugs as a pill to replace injection-only treatment supercharges the adoption of these drugs. Use among humans becomes near universal. What began as a medical treatment turns into a lifestyle tool, with even mildly overweight consumers cycling on and off the pills to stay trim. Global BMI averages across OECD nations fall by a full point, and some national health systems consider subsidised GLP-1 use as a preventive public-health measure. Supply strains re-emerge, and counterfeit risks rise.

As well, after years of extraordinary success with GLP-1 drugs that redefined weight management for humans, scientists turn their attention to the other obesity epidemic: pets. The argument is simple and irresistible: if humans can benefit from appetite-suppressing treatments, why shouldn’t animals? Witness the availability of versions of the new pills with names like OzemPup and WeeKitty: designed to treat obesity in dogs, cats, and other pets.

Social media posts touting the drugs go viral as influencers post before-and-after photos of sleeker labradors and newly svelte house cats, sparking both admiration and moral unease. Animal-rights activists decry pharmaceutical overreach, while veterinarians praise the overall improved health impact on pets as they dish out prescriptions.

For investors, the boom reignites interest in the weight-management sector and spawns new markets at the intersection of medicine, wellness and pet care. But the success also rattles food, restaurant and the pet-food industries, where lower-calorie consumption threatens volumes and margins. Manufacturers pivot to “satiety-smart” and upscale recipes and pre-packed portion sizes to defend margins and market share. The world’s most lucrative drug class reshapes not only waistlines but entire business models.

Market impact: Fast fashion does well as more people need to replace whole wardrobes. Winners and losers emerge in food producers, restaurants and pet food makers. Healthcare and veterinary stocks rally as GLP-1 adoption broadens.