Incretin-based therapies have changed obesity treatment. However, as pharmacologic weight loss becomes more effective, the question is no longer only how much weight patients lose. It is also what they lose with it.

The combination of bimagrumab and semaglutide led to greater body weight loss, specifically through fat mass reduction while preserving lean mass. Additionally, this combination resulted in improved metabolic outcomes.

Another monoclonal antibody targeting the actin receptor type II is LAE102. In preclinical models, LAE102 has demonstrated potential for reducing fat mass while preserving lean muscle.

Recently, the drug is in the phase of assessing its safety, pharmacokinetics, and immunogenicity in healthy volunteers.

Bimagrumab is one of more than 100 anti-obesity drug candidates that are in various stages of development. The next wave of medications, which are likely to hit pharmacy shelves in the next few years, resemble drugs that are already on the market. But close behind are numerous therapies being developed specifically for their muscle-sparing weight-loss potential. Dozens more are aimed at different biological pathways and could redefine obesity treatment in decades to come.