SupplySide Global Panelists Outline Product Opportunities Tied to GLP-1 Medication Use

Panelists at SupplySide Global 2026 outlined product opportunities for consumers who are taking, tapering off, or avoiding GLP-1 medications, with protein, fiber, muscle preservation, and support for the body's own GLP-1 response as recurring themes.

Fran Schoenwetter, content marketing director at SupplySide, moderated the hour-long presentation. The 5 speakers included Penny Antonopoulos, marketing manager of performance and active nutrition, North America, at FrieslandCampina Ingredients North America; Avi Kothari, product development manager at Gateway Health Alliances; Serena Tongiani, PhD, chief portfolio officer at Indena USA; Mark LeDoux, CEO and chairman of the board at Natural Alternatives International/CarnoSyn Brands; and Andrew Ross, DO, science liaison at Rousselot.

How Are GLP-1 Medications Changing Eating?

Antonopoulos said smaller appetites lead to fewer, more intentional eating occasions. "Taste, nutrition, satisfaction must work harder," she said. She said about 30% of weight lost on these medications is tied to muscle loss, and described a user journey in which priorities shift from weight loss and muscle maintenance to weight maintenance and, afterward, longevity. For protein supplementation, FrieslandCampina's concepts included a compact dairy protein shake with 30 g of protein and a clear protein drink with 20 g of protein and about 100 calories per 12 oz.

What Can Botanical and Peptide Ingredients Offer?

Kothari said appetite and satiety, glucose metabolism, and cardiovascular health share biological pathways. He cited a 16-week, placebo-controlled study of 248 participants in which two Gateway extracts, Dyglomera and CQR-300, raised post-meal GLP-1 and lowered energy intake and body weight, and said new data on a third extract are pending publication. He said low daily doses of 300 to 400 mg suit capsules, gummies, powders, and beverages.

Tongiani said of GLP-1 medications and the category, "The drugs are working. It's here to stay." She said natural ingredients cannot match a medication that lasts 5 to 7 days, calling such a claim an overpromise, but they can serve as companions through each stage. Ross described NextidaCG, a collagen peptide from Rousselot screened for its ability to prompt the body's own GLP-1 and GIP release, describing the approach as "turning up the dial physiologically around those meals" and "not mimicking those hormones synthetically." He reported GLP-1 increased 82% versus placebo and gastric emptying slowed by 37.2 minutes in a prediabetic population.

Why Is Muscle Loss a Central Concern?

Tongiani said muscle loss may become the next industry trend. LeDoux said sarcopenia begins around age 40 regardless of GLP-1 use, that reduced protein intake worsens it, and that beta-alanine, which the body uses to make carnosine, is a rate-limiting amino acid. Ross said he expects more fragility fractures and recommended protein, calcium, and vitamin D3 alongside companion products for consumers reducing GLP-1 medication use.

What About Consumers Coming Off Medication?

Ross said prolonged use suppresses natural hormone production and desensitizes receptors. Tongiani suggested fibers to help mechanically fill the stomach, green tea extract for energy, and berberine for metabolic pathway support, while Kothari cited soluble fiber for satiety as hunger cues return. LeDoux framed success as empowerment: "Food is no longer seen as a safety net for people who have undergone this successfully." Schoenwetter noted that some users, such as those with metabolic disease, may stay on medication long term, so formulators should take into account different need states when defining the target consumer.

What Should Formulators Keep in Mind?

Kothari cautioned that food additives such as gums and sugar alcohols can add metabolic discomfort and that "GLP-1 friendly" labeling needs clinical support, including studies in people with obesity. Tongiani urged absorbable formats that do not require large volumes of water or food. LeDoux said in order to build trust with consumers, the industry should "underpromise as an industry and overdeliver," and Ross said, "Our biology is such an interconnected, complicated web," so no single product will solve the problem.