About a dozen drugmakers are developing new weight-loss treatments aimed at preserving muscle, and industry analysts, clinical trial experts and doctors say they may also need to demonstrate additional health benefits beyond the numbers on a scale to get approved.

Popular weight-loss therapies like Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound result in both fat and muscle loss.

A telehealth company partnered with a pharmacy that lacked a required license, raising doubts about the safety and efficacy of the weight-loss medicines it mailed to patients.

One participant lost 22% of her weight in nine months — substantially faster than the rate seen with approved GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound. Her weight dropped so much that researchers reduced her dose of the treatment, called retatrutide. Still, she continued to feel too nauseous, so she decided by herself to start skipping every other dose.

Research shows bimagrumab may prevent muscle and bone loss associated with weight loss medications like Wegovy, offering hope for safer treatment options.

Roche plans to start a mid-stage trial this year combining the drug and its own GLP-1 weight-loss drug candidate CT-388. Biohaven Biohaven is evaluating its myostatin targeting drug, taldefgrobep alfa,

About a dozen drugmakers are developing new weight-loss treatments aimed at preserving muscle, and industry analysts, clinical trial experts and doctors say they may also need to demonstrate additional health benefits beyond the numbers on a scale to get approved.