At investor event, Roche projects confidence on obesity pipeline

LONDON — Roche executives on Monday argued that their experimental obesity medications would prove to have advantages over their rivals’ products — and that the huge demand for effective weight loss drugs means there is room for another company in the field.

“We wouldn’t have moved forward with these assets if we didn’t feel they were differentiated,” including in their molecular makeup and how they could be used in combination with other treatments, Teresa Graham, the chief executive of Roche’s pharma division, said in response to a question from an analyst at the company’s annual pharma day in London.

“But I would also say that in a $100- to $250-billion market, there’s a lot of room for multiple players,” she continued.