Obesity is a chronic, biologically mediated disease requiring long-term management. We must acknowledge this scientific fact to deepen how obesity is understood and treated. Our mission is to build a more inclusive model for care centered around the whole person that addresses the diverse journeys of people living with cardiovascular, obesity, liver and other metabolic conditions.
Our Focus on Obesity
Obesity is more than just a number on a scale.
Obesity is one of the most common chronic conditions we face today. But it doesn't exist in a vacuum. It is a central piece of a complex health puzzle impacting overall health, along with other serious concerns like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, liver disease and heart disease.
The Biology of Obesity
Obesity is a chronic disease driven by our biology and brain. The common narrative of “eat less, move more” fails to account for the powerful internal systems that regulate our body weight and can work against us. In the video below, we unpack the intricate science behind this process and explore the interplay between our genetics, powerful hormonal signals that govern hunger and satiety, and the metabolic pathways our bodies use to manage energy.
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50% Of the global adult population is projected to be overweight or obese by 2035.1
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200+ Health complications are linked to obesity, including chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.2
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~30-50% Of all new type 2 diabetes cases are associated with obesity in the U.S.3
Obesity can lead to other health complications, and it’s important to treat the underlying biology of this disease and related conditions to reduce their impact on our bodies.
Our Approach
At Genentech, we are advancing scientific innovation to reshape care for obesity and metabolic diseases to deliver meaningful solutions for people across their journeys. Our goal is to evolve how these conditions are understood and treated – breaking away from siloed intervention to build a more inclusive model of whole-person care.
Our Stories
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Why Language Matters in the Biology of Obesity
How the words we use shape how people experience obesity care—and why reducing stigma matters.
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Hypertension: Changing the Trajectory to Help Improve Patient Care
Understanding how high blood pressure connects to broader cardiometabolic health.
Our Pipeline
We are advancing a differentiated portfolio of investigational medicines engineered to address the interconnected drivers of obesity and metabolic disease. Our science-led innovations are focused on:
- Creating new treatment options to help address unmet needs
- Designing clinical approaches that care for the whole person
- Ensuring scientific breakthroughs translate into meaningful, long-term health benefits
- Generating early evidence to support real-world impact
References
- 1 Ng M, Gakidou E, Lo J, et al. Global, regional, and national prevalence of adult overweight and obesity, 1990–2021, with forecasts to 2050: a forecasting study for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet, 2025; 405, 813-838. DOI: 10.1016/ S0140-6736(25)00355-1.
- 2 Jastreboff, et al. Obesity as a Disease: The Obesity Society 2018 Position Statement. Obesity 2019, 27: 7-9. DOI: 10.1002/oby.22378.
- 3 Cameron, et al. Quantifying the Sex‐Race/Ethnicity‐Specific Burden of Obesity on Incident Diabetes Mellitus in the United States, 2001 to 2016: MESA and NHANES. Journal of the American Heart Association 2021; 10(4). DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.120.018799.