Pfizer's ADA Phase 2b readout for berobenatide (15.9% weight loss at 32 weeks, no plateau, monthly dosing via a 0.5 mL low-volume injection) validates the $4.9 billion Metsera acquisition that closed earlier this year. The company now plans more than 20 obesity-related trials in 2026, including 10 Phase 3 studies. Monthly dosing positions berobenatide against once-weekly incumbents on the adherence axis, the same logic behind Amgen's MariTide and Ascletis's ASC30.
Pfizer presented Phase 2b VESPER-1 data for berobenatide (PF-07976094 / PF'3944), the ultra-long-acting injectable GLP-1 peptide engineered for monthly dosing through a 0.5 mL low-volume injection. At ADA 2026, the 2.4 mg weekly dose drove up to 15.9% mean weight loss at 32 weeks with no plateau across the VESPER program, plus improved glycemic control and favorable tolerability. Pfizer plans more than 20 obesity-related trials in 2026, including 10 Phase 3 studies of berobenatide in chronic weight management, knee osteoarthritis, and obstructive sleep apnea. The asset entered Pfizer's pipeline through the $4.9 billion Metsera acquisition.
While the ADA stage belonged to Lilly and Novo, Korea Biomedical Review covered the Korean biotechs that sidestepped the headline duel and pitched monthly GLP-1s and next-wave obesity technologies. Hanmi Pharmaceutical, D&D Pharmatech, and Onegene Biotechnology made the case for differentiated dosing intervals, novel-mechanism peptides, and Asia-Pacific market positioning. The pattern echoes Chinese entrants like Innovent (mazdutide), Hengrui (ribupatide, HRS-7535), and Sciwind, and reinforces a meeting-wide pattern: the obesity field is broadening into a global, multi-mechanism pipeline.
Amgen reported Q1 2026 revenue of $8.6 billion (+6%) on April 30 alongside an obesity-pipeline update. MariTide — a peptide-antibody conjugate that activates the GLP-1 receptor and antagonizes the GIP receptor with monthly or less frequent dosing — has the Phase 3 MARITIME-1 study ongoing in adults with obesity or overweight, and Amgen has now launched the MARITIME-2 EXTENSION study to evaluate weight-loss maintenance. Three Phase 3 studies of MariTide in people with type 2 diabetes are planned to start in 2026, alongside a Phase 2b liver-fat-reduction study and the Phase 1 study of follow-on candidate AMG 513 in obesity.