Executive SummaryDue to a growing epidemic of obesity in the US and other developed nations, the obesity market is undergoing strong growth. However, there is a distinct shortage of drugs available to treat the condition and, thus, the race is on in the pharma industry to produce a blockbuster drug. Current therapy for obesity consists of behavioral modification, bariatric surgery and/or pharmaceuticals. Although the first two options are effective for certain individuals, it is generally agreed that effective pharmaceutical therapies are needed to counter the growing obesity epidemic. The two major drugs on the market are Xenical from Roche - which blocks absorption of dietary fat - and Meridia/Reductil, which is an appetite suppressant. These drugs are effective but not dramatically so and they have certain side effects which have limited their use and hence their revenues. The pharmaceutical pipeline for obesity is lean, with only around 15 programs in mid- or late-stage clinical development, including only two in phase III trials.Pharmaceutical Innovationspoke to the experts in the field of obesity to find out their views and predictions for obesity therapy. In general, the feeling was that new and effective antiobesity drugs will be developed but only slowly, due to our current inadequate understanding of the basic physiological and biochemical mechanisms contributing to obesity. One expert likened the current state of obesity therapy to what hypertension therapy was before diuretics were discovered. Most interviewees did not expect to see dramatically effective antiobesity drugs on the market within 10 years. However, Axokine and topiramate were identified as drugs that could make an impact on the market sooner. Two early-stage technologies under intense investigation are melanin-concentrating hormone and the melanocortin system. Gastic stimulation device technology - stimulating the vagus nerve to tell the brain that food intake is adequate - was identified as a non-pharmaceutical technology with great promise, although it is still in early stages of development. Finally, most experts believe that there will never be a single ‘one size fits all’ therapy for obesity - in other words, combination therapies will be required.