Global experts headline event on obesity, diabetes management

Three global experts in endocrinology and diabetes on Monday shared new insights and the latest research on treatment options for obesity and Type 2 diabetes at an event in Pasay City.

The event, dubbed “Twice as Bold: Breakthrough in Obesity and Leading-Edge in Diabetes” and put together by Zuellig Pharma, featured global experts, Prof. Luc Van Gaal, Prof. David Cummings, and Prof. Roger Chen.

Van Gaal, a professor in diabetology, obesity, and metabolic disorders at the University of Antwerp and Hospital in Belgium, shared real-world clinical application of new therapies. 

He has been a leading voice in evaluating the efficacy of the dual GIP & GLP-1 agonist class, particularly its results from the SURMOUNT clinical program, which demonstrated unprecedented weight loss efficacy in patients with obesity.

Cummings, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington and director of the weight management clinic at the VA Puget Sound, provided the scientific context for how powerful new dual-action drugs regulated energy balance and blood sugar control, establishing the mechanism for their effectiveness in managing both diabetes and obesity. 

He is also a prominent researcher whose work on metabolic hormones and gut-brain signaling has been foundational to the development of incretin-based therapies. 

Chen, a senior staff specialist in endocrinology at St. Vincent Hospital, Sydney, and a visiting scientist at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, shared his deep expertise in diabetes, metabolic disorders, and general endocrinology.

The program will also feature notable local faculty, including Dr Bien Matawaran, past-President of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Dr. Dante Morales, former President of the Philippine Heart Association, Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus Jr., president of the Philippine College of Physicians, and Dr. Maria Adelaida Iboleon-Dy, head of the Heart Institute of St. Luke’s Medical Center. –NB, GMA Integrated News