Obesity
Of the more than one billion adults who are overweight, at least 300 million of them are clinically obese, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 66.3 percent of non-institutionalized adults 20 years or older are overweight, and 32 percent are obese. As a result, obesity is adding substantially to the burden of chronic disease and disability in the United States and around the world. Specifically, obesity increases the risk for chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and some forms of cancer.
Unfortunately, most people being treated for obesity through diet and exercise do not achieve long-term weight reduction. In addition, many patients being treated with drugs either do not reach and maintain their weight-loss goals or are unable to tolerate drug therapy. Consequently, Bristol-Myers Squibb has made obesity a key research and development target and is focusing on discovering and producing drug treatments to help stem the obesity epidemic.