Core Viewpoint - The capital market is shifting its focus from merely achieving higher weight loss percentages to exploring alternative methods for addressing obesity, particularly through new drug mechanisms and oral formulations [3][6]. Group 1: Market Trends and Innovations - The weight loss drug industry is reaching a consensus that a 25% weight loss may be the upper limit achievable through drug interventions, with increasing difficulty in achieving stable and tolerable breakthroughs [3][6]. - On December 8, 2023, several biotech companies focused on next-generation weight loss drugs saw significant stock price increases, driven by early clinical data on oral small molecules and new mechanisms outside of GLP-1 [3]. - Eli Lilly's Retatrutide reported a 28.7% weight loss in its Phase III TRIUMPH-4 study, surpassing the previously accepted 25% ceiling, but this came with higher discontinuation rates and new adverse reaction signals [5][13]. Group 2: Clinical Data and Implications - The TRIUMPH-4 study included 445 participants with obesity or overweight and knee osteoarthritis, indicating a larger weight loss potential due to the higher baseline BMI of participants [15]. - Retatrutide demonstrated significant improvements in pain scores related to osteoarthritis, suggesting its clinical value extends beyond weight loss alone [20]. - The study revealed that 47.7% and 58.6% of participants in the 9 mg and 12 mg groups, respectively, achieved at least 25% weight loss, while only 1.3% in the placebo group did [22]. Group 3: Future Directions in Weight Loss Drug Development - The next generation of weight loss drugs is expected to focus on improving tolerability and adherence rather than solely maximizing weight loss percentages, with oral formulations and receptor signaling pathways becoming key areas of exploration [29][30]. - Companies like Structure Therapeutics and Wave Life Sciences are developing oral small molecules and RNA therapies that aim to enhance patient compliance and address body composition rather than just weight [30][36]. - The competition in the weight loss drug market is evolving towards a more nuanced understanding of patient needs, emphasizing long-term management and the optimization of body composition [44][46].