(WSJ) – Drugmakers targeting muscle preservation and fat loss as they build next generation of weight-loss medications

For as long as drugmakers have been testing weight-loss drugs, the question has been: How much weight do people lose? Now it is changing to: What kind of weight are they losing?

Rapid weight loss can come with a downside—people can end up injured or prone to falls if they shed significant muscle alongside fat. Drugmakers are testing a new generation of muscle-protecting and body fat-targeting drugs to fix that.

At a medical conference in Milan this week, mid- and late-stage studies from companies like Novo, Eli Lilly and Regeneron indicated that several drug candidates might be able to better preserve muscle and help shed problematic belly fat. (Read More)