Seoul Economic Daily Published Monday August 17, 2026 a Market Synthesis on the Obesity Drug Runner-Up Field With Structure Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GPCR), Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN, With MariTide Now Positioned as Sole Obesity Focus After Amgen Halted AMG 513 Development), Pfizer (NYSE: PFE, With Danuglipron Plus Metsera Pipeline), and Others Positioning for Approval Filings and Market Launches in 2027-2028 Behind Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) That Currently Dominate the Global Obesity Drug Market; The Sorting of Winners From Losers Based on Phase 3 Results Will Begin in Earnest Starting Next Year With Amgen Expected to Apply for MariTide Regulatory Approval in Late 2026 to Early 2027 and Structure Therapeutics Expected to Initiate Aleniglipron Phase 3 in H2 2026
Seoul Economic Daily published Monday August 17, 2026 a market synthesis on the obesity drug runner-up field. Key runners-up positioning for 2027-2028 approval filings behind Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO): Structure Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GPCR) with aleniglipron (once-daily oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist) expected to initiate Phase 3 in H2 2026; Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) with MariTide (once-monthly injectable dual GIPR antagonist / GLP-1 agonist) now positioned as the sole obesity focus after the July 29 Q2 disclosure that Amgen halted AMG 513 Phase 1 development to concentrate resources on the MariTide MARITIME Phase 3 program; and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) with danuglipron oral GLP-1 receptor agonist plus the Metsera acquisition pipeline. Amgen expects to apply for MariTide regulatory approval in late 2026 to early 2027. The Amgen MariTide Phase 3 program covers obesity (MARITIME-1) plus obesity and type 2 diabetes (MARITIME-2), with additional Phase 3 studies exploring cardiovascular disease, heart failure, kidney disease, and obstructive sleep apnea. The sorting of winners from losers based on Phase 3 results will begin in earnest starting next year as the field competes on efficacy, safety, delivery format, and price for market share behind Lilly's Zepbound-Mounjaro-Foundayo franchise and Novo's Wegovy-Ozempic franchise.