In October 2024, multi-industry stakeholders gathered for the DCRI Think Tank Anti-Obesity Pharmacotherapy: Need for Guidance, Access, and Equity, which focused on aligning and advancing the field of obesity medications (OMs). Their insights and collaboration resulted in the article Obesity Pharmacotherapy: An Urgent Need for Progressing Science, Access, and Equity published in the journal JACC: Advances.
The article explores key themes covered during the Think Tank as well as action items developed by the authors, including a cross-stakeholder obesity research roadmap, standardized obesity measures inclusive of and beyond body mass index, strategies to ensure equitable OM access, and a forum to address regulatory and payer challenges. The authors emphasize that the complex, rapidly developing field of obesity research and OM development requires a strategy to ensure equitable, streamlined research and access to OMs.