Nestle has stepped up its response to the launch of weight-loss drugs with a range of protein shots and drinks that it says can have the same impact.
Boost Pre-meal is a liquid shot that will “support people using GLP-1 receptor agonists or other weight-loss medications”, said the Kit Kat maker.
Aimed at the US and initially on sale from the Boost website, Amazon and CVS stores, Nestlé chief technology officer Stefan Palzer said the products had been “designed to help manage hunger and the feeling of satisfaction when consumed before meals”.
Recently Nestlé started to market pizza and pasta meals in the US designed for people on GLP-1 weight-loss medications such as Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO)’s Wegovy and Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro.
Nestle’s launch comes at a time when the new Trump administration is weighing up whether to include weight-loss drugs in the Medicare programme.
Departing President Joe Biden originally proposed the idea, but estimates of the cost say it could run into tens of billions in government spending.
Shares in Nestle dropped 1.8% to Sfr73.84.