GLP-1 Drugs See Surge in Demand and Expanding Therapeutic Applications, Lexaria Bioscience Corp. Reports

Kelowna, British Columbia — June 17, 2026 — Leads & Copy — Lexaria Bioscience Corp. provided an update on the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and obesity industry, highlighting significant growth in GLP-1 drug usage for weight loss and an expanding list of indicated treatable diseases. The company, an innovator in drug delivery platforms, noted that Novo Nordisk® announced over three million Wegovy® pill prescriptions filled since its January 5, 2026 launch, marking it as one of the strongest U.S. pharmaceutical launches by volume on record. Eighty-two percent of these prescriptions were for individuals new to GLP-1 medications, supporting Lexaria's thesis that oral GLP-1 delivery could significantly expand the market beyond injectable forms.

Novo Nordisk® has also launched Wegovy® pills for weight loss in the United Arab Emirates and received approval in the United Kingdom as the first daily GLP-1 weight-loss pill in that country, indicating a global expansion of orally delivered GLP-1 medications for weight management.

Eli Lilly and Company® announced Phase 3 trial results for retatrutide, an investigational drug targeting GLP-1, glucagon, and GIP receptors. The TRIUMPH-1 study showed retatrutide resulted in an average weight loss of 28.3% over 80 weeks, with 65.3% of participants achieving a BMI below 30. The study also indicated significant reductions in knee osteoarthritis pain by 73.1% and obstructive sleep apnea severity by up to 60.6% per hour. Dr. Ania Jastreboff of Yale School of Medicine highlighted that retatrutide treatment led to substantial weight reduction, along with meaningful improvements in glycemia, knee osteoarthritis pain, and obstructive sleep apnea.

Lilly also released results from its ACHIEVE Phase 3 trials for Foundayo® (orforglipron), a daily oral GLP-1 drug, demonstrating a 2.2% reduction in A1C levels from a baseline of 8.3% to 6.1% over 52 weeks. Foundayo® is being investigated for type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, weight management, hypertension, osteoarthritis knee pain, peripheral artery disease, and stress urinary incontinence.

A large dataset involving over 2 million veterans suggests GLP-1 drugs may offer significant benefits to neurological and behavioral health, including reduced risks of substance addiction and neurocognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia, potentially due to reduced brain inflammation. Earlier findings regarding the drugs' potential to lower the risk of cardiovascular conditions, chronic kidney disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), and arthritis were also confirmed.

Revenue forecasts for these drugs are surging, with TD Cowen® raising their 2030 sales forecast for the GLP-1 sector to $139 billion, Roots Analysis projecting $180 billion by 2035, and UBS Investment Bank® expecting $126 billion in GLP-1 sales by 2029. While Lilly and Novo Nordisk® dominate the obesity and diabetes markets, the scale of investigation and new drug possibilities are accelerating, with IQVIA reporting over 193 obesity pipeline assets in active clinical development and an expectation of eight more novel GLP-1 drug approvals in the next four years.

Lexaria is focusing on improving patient safety, particularly concerning gastrointestinal adverse events (GI AEs) associated with current GLP-1 drugs. The company aims to position its DehydraTECH™ (DHT) drug delivery technology to enhance drug absorption and reduce side effects. Lexaria is launching two new animal studies this year on retatrutide and amycretin to test their compatibility with DehydraTECH™. Previous studies using DehydraTECH™ with semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide in oral formats showed significant reductions in GI AEs, ranging from 31% to 100% compared to control groups.

With a patent portfolio protecting DehydraTECH™ worldwide, Lexaria is pursuing business development opportunities with commercial partners. The company remains confident in DehydraTECH™'s utility for the growing diabetes control and weight-loss industries.

About Lexaria Bioscience Corp. & DehydraTECH™

DehydraTECH™ is Lexaria’s patented drug delivery formulation and processing technology designed to improve oral drug absorption, reduce side-effects, and enhance delivery across the blood-brain barrier. Lexaria operates a licensed research laboratory and holds a portfolio of 65 granted patents with additional patents pending globally. More information is available at www.lexariabioscience.com.

Source: Lexaria Bioscience Corp.