The 33rd European Congress on Obesity closes in Istanbul on Friday May 15 after four days that reframed the obesity-pharmacology conversation around two themes. First, maintenance: the SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN Lancet publication, ATTAIN-MAINTAIN Nature Medicine publication, and Wegovy STEP UP early-responder analyses gave prescribers Phase 3 evidence for dose tapering and switching strategies — moving past the 'how much weight will I lose' question to 'how do I stay there'. Second, guideline alignment: the EASO 2026 Nature Medicine framework formally privileged semaglutide and tirzepatide as first-line therapy across most obesity complications, with complication-specific differentiation (tirzepatide for OSA/MASH; semaglutide for OA/CVD/MASH-fibrosis). Caliway CBL-514 + GLP-1R combination preclinical data and Ascletis next-generation amylin and dual-incretin candidates rounded out the four-day program.
Two of the year's biggest peptide-related meetings open within 24 hours of each other next week. The European Congress on Obesity 2026 runs May 12–15 in Istanbul, with Novo Nordisk presenting 52 abstracts spanning Wegovy 7.2 mg full STEP UP data, CagriSema higher-dose Phase 3 plans, Wegovy pill efficacy and tolerability, and women's-obesity / perimenopause / migraine subgroups; the 21-expert global panel will also formally propose the 10-year prospective GLP-1 cancer-prevention trial. TIDES USA 2026 runs May 11–14 in Boston with six concurrent scientific tracks across oligonucleotides, peptides, and mRNA — featuring Bachem, PolyPeptide, CordenPharma, Gilead, and Novo Nordisk on the CMC strategy and GMP capacity panels. Hims & Hers prints Q1 May 11 the same evening.
Ahead of the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul (May 12–15), a 21-expert global panel of obesity and cancer specialists will present a research proposal for a 10-year prospective trial testing GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide for prevention of obesity-related cancers. The proposal builds on the SELECT trial's established cardiovascular benefit, real-world dementia-incidence reductions, and the broader case that GLP-1s influence multiple aging-driven disease categories. The Istanbul meeting is the same venue where Novo Nordisk will present 52 abstracts on Wegovy, the higher-dose 7.2 mg formulation, the Wegovy pill, and CagriSema, including data on women's obesity, perimenopause, and migraine.