Novo Nordisk

Internal Research on Obesity in Ireland

Research Papers:
Social Media - From Post to prescription
Outlook for Obesity in 2025
Obesity and Anti-Obesity Medications - Patient Insights

1) Patient experience and care gaps (highly relevant to Ireland’s primary care pathway)

Patient interviews highlight recurring barriers that are directly transferable to Ireland’s GP-led entry point into care:

• Patients feel dismissed or not taken seriously, particularly in primary care, where they often receive generic “lose weight” advice rather than tailored assessment and referral. This matters in Ireland where GPs are typically the first, and sometimes only, clinical touchpoint before specialist services.
  
  
• Obesity is frequently treated as a catch-all explanation for symptoms, risking missed diagnoses and further eroding trust.
  
  
• The psychological burden is significant (self-stigma, anxiety, low self-efficacy), and the documents argue that mental health support should be integral to obesity care, not optional.
  
  
• Patients show reluctance towards medication and clinical trials, driven by cost, concerns about side effects, a “last resort” mindset, and the practical burden (time, travel, logistics). These themes are important for Ireland where access constraints and travel to specialist centres can be a real friction point.

Implication for Ireland: Any strategy that assumes “awareness equals uptake” will underperform unless it supports GPs with clearer referral pathways and gives patients credible, practical wraparound support (behavioural, psychological, lifestyle, and side effect management).

2) Social media is shaping demand, beliefs, and misbeliefs

The social media analysis shows obesity has become a high-volume topic, with conversation surging alongside newer therapies. However, discourse quality varies and can distort expectations.

Key points with Irish relevance:

• There is a clear split between HCP discussions (more clinically focused) and public discussions (broader, noisier, sometimes misleading).
  
  
• A “perception gap” exists where well-known GLP-1 brand names used off-label in diabetes can dominate public understanding, even when obesity-specific brands or indications differ. This is important for Ireland because patient requests and expectations often arrive via social channels before clinical consultations catch up.
  
  
• The documents recommend active social listening, rapid response to emerging narratives, and sustained education to align public perceptions with clinical reality.

Implication for Ireland: Expect patient-led demand signals to intensify, including pressure on GPs for access, questions about safety and side effects, and confusion around brand names and indications. The winning approach is consistent, evidence-based education paired with practical support.

3) 2025 outlook: what changes the market next

The 2025 outlook positions the AOM market as moving from hype into more “conventional” competitive dynamics, shaped by three forces that matter for Ireland:

• Reimbursement and access will increasingly define uptake, with countries watching each other’s policy decisions as precedents emerge.
  
  
• Innovation and competition are set to accelerate, with a large pipeline (many mechanisms, many oral candidates) and differentiation shifting towards tolerability, durability, convenience, and “quality” of weight loss.
  
  
• Real-world outcomes and persistence become decisive: early signals suggest drop-off is meaningful, and cost sensitivity is a key driver, so support programmes and adherence solutions become a competitive battleground.

Implication for Ireland: As access evolves (public, private, or mixed), the Irish market will likely mirror the broader European pattern: demand growth, ongoing debate about payer value, and increasing need for real-world evidence plus patient support that improves persistence and outcomes.

What to prioritise in Ireland (practical takeaways)

1. GP enablement: tools and education that support individualised obesity management and referral, not generic advice.

2. Patient support as standard: behavioural and psychological support, side effect navigation, and realistic expectation-setting.

3. Social listening and myth-busting: monitor local narratives and respond quickly with credible, accessible information.

4. Evidence focus: prioritise real-world outcomes, persistence, and health system value arguments, since reimbursement debates are central to market expansion.