Other news

<aside> 📊 Consumer Trends 2026: health and GLP-1 adoption reshape food demand

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• A survey of 3,000 US consumers (including 428 GLP-1 users) shows that despite inflation easing (~3%), consumers still perceive strong price increases and trade down in beverages, snacks and eating out, limiting food’s ability to benefit from spending concentrated among higher-income households.

  

• In contrast, GLP-1 users trade up across all food categories, prioritising taste, protein, functionality, and perceived quality over simple volume reduction (see graph below).

  

• It reports that two-thirds of US adults want to lose weight, and that 23% of households had at least one GLP-1 user in September 2025.

• It shows that 90% of GLP-1 users surveyed are interested in tailored foods and services (see graphs below).

• The survey indicates a shift towards health optimisation, with one-third of Americans adopting longevity-focused products (e.g. NAD+) alongside services such as routine blood testing that are becoming mainstream.

**The New Consumer (see full report in PDF below)**

Consumer Trends 2026.pdf

<aside> 📉 GLP-1 obesity drugs: availability expands as prices fall and patents near expiry

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• In the US, the administration reached agreements with Eli Lilly (US) and Novo Nordisk (Denmark) to cut monthly **prices of GLP-1 obesity drugs (Wegovy, Zepbound and pills) from $1,350 to about $350, with the lowest pill doses at $149.**
  • In return, drugmakers receive incentives (e.g. faster FDA reviews, tariff exemptions) and the government plans a TrumpRx direct-purchase portal.
• Novo Nordisk launched the first GLP-1 weight-loss pill (Wegovy), now available in the US through 70,000+ pharmacies and select telehealth providers, showing ~17% average weight loss in the phase 3 trial (or ~14% regardless of treatment discontinuation).

Comment: This availability shift could significantly accelerate adoption, especially as semaglutide IP protection expires in 2026 in major markets (India, Canada, China, Brazil and Turkey), enabling cheaper versions.

<aside> 💉 GLP-1 obesity drugs: mass adoption drives food shifts as durability questions emerge and next-generation products near market

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• GLP-1 users already make up 23% of US households and are expected to drive 35% of food and beverage sales by 2030, accelerating demand for higher-protein, higher-fibre and lower-sugar products.
• Recently, a review of 37 studies suggests patients regain most weight lost on GLP-1 drugs within ~2 years of stopping treatment, alongside fading cardiometabolic benefits, reinforcing the need for long-term care and nutritional support.
• Eli Lilly reported late-stage data showing its next-generation GLP-1 drug retatrutide delivered up to 29% body-weight loss after 68 weeks in patients with obesity and osteoarthritis, while also improving other physical outcomes (e.g. reduced knee pain).

Comment: this new class of drugs, often called GLP 3 as they work on three receptors, could be available as soon as the end of 2026.

Articles available in PDF below

Durability of the effects of anti-obesity drugs.pdf

Eli Lilly Weight Loss Study.pdf

<aside> 💊 NAD⁺: The longevity molecule transforming functional food and drink

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• NAD⁺, a set of molecules which decline with age, are emerging as a key longevity element for use in functional food and beverages.
• The market for NAD⁺-enhanced products is expanding rapidly, with a projected value of $4.8B by 2033.