A leading healthcare solutions company in Asia has announced that three internationally recognized experts in endocrinology and diabetes will headline a major scientific event in the Philippines to address challenges on obesity and diabetes.
Zuellig Pharma said the event, dubbed “Twice as Bold: Breakthrough in Obesity and Leading-Edge in Diabetes,” is dedicated to exploring the latest advances in obesity and diabetes management.
It is scheduled 5 p.m. Jan.26, 2026 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, to be presided by professors Luc Van Gaal, David Cummings and Roger Chen,
According to the Zuellig, obesity and diabetes now represent an intertwined cardiometabolic crisis in the Philippines, where millions of adults struggle with excess weight and metabolic dysfunction.
The rising prevalence of these conditions has resulted in thousands of largely preventable deaths while significantly increasing the burden on the national healthcare system,” it said.
“Because these health issues are so closely linked, any delay in treatment can trigger other comorbidities, such as cardiovascular events, kidney failure, and further serious complications that severely diminish both quality of life and economic productivity,” the firm added.
This dual burden creates a strong urgency for early, aggressive, and long-term strategies that combine lifestyle intervention with modern pharmacologic options, including the newer dual GIP & GLP1 receptor agonists, which can deliver meaningful weight loss and cardiometabolic risk reduction when used as part of comprehensive chronic disease management.
At the event, the three experts will share new insights and the latest research on innovative treatment options for obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
Their participation underscores the global importance of this new class of medication, which utilizes two key gut hormones (GIP & GLP-1) to regulate blood sugar and appetite.
Gaal, who teaches Diabetology, Obesity, and Metabolic Disorders at the University of Antwerp and works at Hospital Belgium will tackle real-world clinical application of these new therapies.
He was reputed to be 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.
On the other hand, Cummings, a professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and director of the weight management clinic at the VA Puget sound, will provide scientific context for how these powerful new dual-action drugs regulate energy balance and blood sugar control, establishing the mechanism for their effectiveness in managing both diabetes and obesity.
He is also known as a prominent researcher whose work on metabolic hormones and gut-brain signaling has been foundational to the development of incretin-based therapies.
For his part, Chen, a highly experienced endocrinologist and academic in Sydney, will talk about his expertise in diabetes, metabolic disorders, and general endocrinology.
Chen is a senior staff specialist in Endocrinology at St. Vincent Hospital in Sydney and a visiting scientist at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, with academic appointments at both the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney.
The event will also feature notable local authorities 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.
Together, these experts will bring a rare combination of global clinical experience and cutting-edge research, bridging the science behind dual GIP & GLP-1 therapies with practical guidance for long-term cardiometabolic care. Their perspectives will help frame what’s next for obesity and Type 2 diabetes management in the Philippines, and how healthcare professionals can translate emerging evidence into better outcomes for patients.
