Merck (MRK.US) announced on Tuesday that the company is focusing on opportunities in the second-generation and third-generation cardiac metabolic drug markets, including weight loss therapies. Merck CEO Robert Davis said at Goldman Sachs' global healthcare conference, "We are more focused on small-molecule oral drugs than on injectables. This is the preferred route."

Merck hopes to gain additional potential benefits for weight loss treatment through well-tolerated drug combinations.

Davis' comments on Tuesday were consistent with those he made in January, when he said that showing the efficacy of drugs for diseases other than cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and weight control would make them easier to obtain insurance reimbursement.

It is estimated that the global annual sales of the weight loss drug market will reach about $150 billion by early 2030. Currently, the dominant players are Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly and Co's Zepbound, both of which belong to the GLP-1 class of drugs.

GLP-1 drugs reduce hunger by inducing a feeling of fullness, and pharmaceutical companies are currently researching whether they can improve health in other ways.

Earlier this year, Merck said it was looking for other effects of GLP-1 drugs besides weight loss. The pharmaceutical company has developed a GLP-1R/GCGR dual-target new drug called Efinopegdutide, which is used to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

The company said last year that this experimental drug showed "convincing" weight loss effects.