The global pipeline for type 2 diabetes now features more than 80 treatment candidates from over 75 companies, highlighting rapid innovation driven by new approvals, cardiovascular focus, and diverse delivery platforms amidst rising obesity and ageing populations.
DelveInsight says the global pipeline for type 2 diabetes now includes more than 75 companies working on more than 80 treatment candidates, a sign of how intensely drugmakers are competing to improve blood-sugar control, weight management and cardiovascular outcomes. Its latest assessment of the field, published in September 2026, covers products from pre-clinical research through to marketed therapies and tracks development by mechanism, route of administration and stage of testing. The report also highlights a market shaped by rising obesity rates, sedentary lifestyles and ageing populations, all of which continue to expand demand for more effective treatment options.
The most important recent advances have come from established diabetes players rather than smaller entrants. According to the report, the US Food and Drug Administration in March approved Awiqli, Novo Nordisk’s insulin icodec-abae, as the first once-weekly basal insulin for adults with type 2 diabetes. The therapy is designed to be used alongside diet and exercise, and the approval reflects growing interest in treatments that fit more easily into patients’ daily routines. In May, Novo Nordisk also said an oral semaglutide formulation was becoming available in the US, giving adults with type 2 diabetes another option in the GLP-1 class, which has become one of the most closely watched areas of metabolic medicine.
Cardiovascular risk reduction has also become a central theme in the market. Eli Lilly said in August that the FDA had approved Mounjaro, or tirzepatide, to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes who are at high cardiovascular risk. The same drug remains approved to improve blood glucose control in adults and in children aged 10 and older. DelveInsight says this kind of broader indication matters because people with type 2 diabetes often face complications beyond high glucose, including heart disease and kidney damage, and companies are increasingly trying to show benefit across those outcomes rather than in blood sugar alone.
Beyond the headline products already on the market, the pipeline remains crowded with candidates at different stages of development. DelveInsight lists programmes from Eli Lilly, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, Ionis Pharmaceuticals and others, with therapies ranging from tirzepatide and semaglutide to experimental drugs such as danuglipron, AZD0186, PF-07081532, HTD1801 and AT-001. The report says the field includes oral, injectable and other delivery approaches, as well as small molecules, peptides, monoclonal antibodies and gene-based strategies. It also notes that development is being shaped by high trial costs, safety concerns and tough regulatory demands, but that the push for personalised treatment and better long-term outcomes is likely to keep investment flowing.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
