OMA 2026 Recap: Oral Pharmacotherapy for Obesity

The Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) Annual Conference 2026, in San Diego, California, featured >80 scientific and educational sessions covering everything from nutrition, physical activity, clinical pharmacology, and practice management for obesity care. From major steps forward in incretin therapies to the release of the updated OMA Obesity Algorithm, this year’s meeting brought tons of new data to the forefront of endocrinology care.

In the second episode of a 5-part HCPLive Special Report, Raghuveer Vedala, MD, and Shagun Bindlish, MD, discuss the most impactful headlines to come out of OMA 2026 – as well as how these findings can be applied to everyday obesity management and treatment.

Vedala emphasizes that obesity treatment conversations require sensitivity, as many patients struggle to initiate discussions about weight due to stigma and fear. The speakers highlight concerns around discontinuation of GLP-1 therapies, noting that patients often experience significant anxiety about losing progress and regaining weight if coverage is interrupted. The conversation stresses the importance of clinician advocacy, including engagement with policymakers, to address access barriers and support long-term obesity management.

Vedala then shifts to emerging obesity pharmacotherapy, particularly the introduction of oral GLP-1 therapies and data from the ATTAIN trial. The speakers describe the newly approved oral, non-peptide GLP-1 medication as a potential shift in obesity treatment by offering an alternative to injectable therapies, with greater convenience and no fasting requirement. Trial data showed meaningful weight loss, with patients achieving an average reduction of around 11% and many reaching clinically important weight-loss thresholds. While injectable therapies such as tirzepatide and semaglutide remain the efficacy benchmarks, the availability of oral options may help address adherence, needle aversion, and access challenges.

Bindlish and Vedala then discuss how oral GLP-1 therapies may change the way clinicians approach obesity as a chronic disease, similar to other conditions managed with daily oral medications. The speakers note that patients appear increasingly receptive to oral options, but clinicians must continue educating patients about gastrointestinal side effects, which remain an important consideration. Because daily oral dosing may require more attention to meal timing, eating patterns, and symptom management, they emphasize the need for ongoing patient counseling as these therapies become more widely used.