Monitoring the obesity treatment revolution, in healthcare and beyond

The growing obesity epidemic is well-documented – and so, too, is the advent of novel anti-obesity medications (AOMs). These game-changing drugs are demonstrating unprecedented success in helping people living with obesity to lose weight, as well as showing promise in treating many related conditions. 

The implications for healthcare, and for sectors impacted by changing consumption habits, are profound.

Many questions remain, however. How are doctors in the real world choosing which patients to treat with these medications? For three in four of the doctors participating in a recent study for Ipsos¹, the presence of weight-related comorbidities was a catalyst for discussing AOMs with a patient. But was their main driver treating obesity – or the related condition? Does this differ according to doctor type? 

On the flipside, how many people living with obesity are approaching a healthcare professional about treatment in the first place? Ipsos syndicated consumer research in June revealed that only 28% of those living with obesity had contacted a physician to discuss weight loss in the past six months² – but will this change over time as the market, and attitudes, evolve? Were those who sought help actually offered these treatments? What is their experience of AOMs? How do they impact consumption of food and drink? 

Fundamentally, what are the implications of all this for healthcare and other industries?

To answer all these questions and more, Ipsos has launched three new syndicated studies to monitor and anticipate changes in this rapidly evolving landscape. The studies will run multiple times per year and data will be available to multiple subscribers, with analysis and deliverables tailored to client need.

Ipsos Global Consumer Obesity Study  

The consumer study will monitor users’ experiences of AOMs and uncover the evolving attitudes and behaviour of the treatment-eligible and general population around AOMs and health in general. 

Key areas of focus will include understanding of obesity, reasons for/against engaging with HCPs, awareness of and experiences with AOMs, who is being offered AOMs versus who is not, and much more. The study will also monitor whether these treatments are reducing consumption in food and beverage categories such as soft drinks and fast food. 

Insights will be of value to a wide range of stakeholders, including pharma companies, eHealth platforms, food, beverage and retail industries, public institutions, and others.

The study is available in US and Germany, with other markets to follow in 2024.

Ipsos Global Obesity & Cardiometabolic Disease Therapy Monitor 

The latest addition to Ipsos’ long-running Global Therapy Monitor portfolio, this study will provide real-world treatment data on patients receiving AOMs, layered with perceptions of treating healthcare professionals (HCPs) in all relevant specialties. 

Subscribers will gain an ongoing understanding of current clinical practices, patient caseloads, patient flow, treatment dynamics, role of concomitant conditions in treatment choice, awareness/perceptions of drugs, and much more – enabling them to identify the current and future dynamics of the obesity and cardiometabolic disease markets. 

The study is launched in US, Germany, Japan and China (with other markets available next year); data will be available in January 2024.

Ipsos GLP-1 Market Sizing Study 

The third study will measure the current and likely future utilisation of this new drug class – both within obesity and for other conditions such as congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease. 

The study will be launched in early 2024 in multiple markets.