Research shows bimagrumab may prevent muscle and bone loss associated with weight loss medications like Wegovy, offering hope for safer treatment options.

Popular weight-loss therapies like Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound result in both fat and muscle loss.

About a dozen drugmakers are developing new weight-loss treatments aimed at preserving muscle, and industry analysts, clinical trial experts and doctors say they may also need to demonstrate additional health benefits beyond the numbers on a scale to get approved.