Bridging Boundaries in the GLP-1 Era

Partnering Across Pharma, Nutra, and Food to Power More Healthy Tomorrows

The GLP-1 revolution is transforming healthcare, nutrition, and wellness at an unprecedented pace. What began as a targeted therapy for type 2 diabetes has evolved into a multibillion-dollar innovation engine, reshaping how patients manage weight, chronic conditions, and long-term health. As GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and tirzepatide move into additional indications, including cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, and Alzheimer's disease, their impact is extending well beyond traditional pharmaceutical markets.

At Ingredients + Specialties (I+S) from Univar Solutions, we're seeing firsthand how these developments are creating new opportunities across pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and food. Because we work across all three markets, we're able to help partners navigate development challenges, connect ingredient strategies across categories, and bring products to market more efficiently that meet evolving consumer expectations.

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A Converging Market Demands Cross-Functional Solutions

GLP-1 therapies are driving new consumer behaviors and nutritional needs. Patients taking these drugs often experience reduced appetite, lean muscle loss, hair thinning, dehydration, digestive changes, and post-treatment weight gain, creating demand for companion products that support their health journey.

With a diverse portfolio that spans from select pharmaceutical and nutraceutical actives, excipients, solvents, and bioprocessing ingredients to food ingredients such as proteins, prebiotic and dietary fibers, botanicals, vitamins, minerals, sweeteners, and beyond. Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions is positioned to supply critical inputs for GLP-1 drug development and the companion products and supplements that help deliver the nutrition consumers need. Together, these capabilities allow us to build integrated solutions that support patient wellness across categories.

Our technical teams work closely with customers to address formulation challenges such as solubility, bioavailability, stability, and regulatory requirements from early development through commercialization.

Innovation Through Collaboration

We believe innovation happens when partners engage early and work together. That’s why our global network of Solution Centers is designed to support customers at every stage of development. From pharma labs in Houston and São Paulo to food kitchens in Chicago and Essen, our facilities offer prototype development, analytical testing, and application support tailored to shifting consumer and regulatory landscapes.

Startups use our centers as outsourced R&D hubs. Mid-sized companies rely on us to troubleshoot and accelerate timelines. Global brands partner with us to prioritize projects their internal teams can’t tackle alone. By linking technical expertise to a global ingredient supply chain, we help our partners move from concept to scalable formulation faster and with greater confidence.

Supply Chain Strength That Builds Confidence

Every GLP-1 therapy and companion product depends on a reliable supply chain. With more than 600 distribution sites worldwide and one of North America's largest dedicated pharmaceutical logistics fleets, we help keep critical ingredients available where and when our customers need them.

We also deploy dedicated product management and business development teams to identify portfolio gaps, align with supplier partners, and ensure ingredient availability across regions. In a market where even brief supply disruptions can delay launches or trials, our proactive approach is a strategic advantage.

Quality and compliance are foundational. In Europe, our technical coordinators streamline regulatory documentation to accelerate approval processes. As regulatory scrutiny increases, including recent FDA actions involving non-verified GLP-1 imports, transparent and traceable supply chains have become more important than ever.

Timing Matters: Engage Early, Scale Smarter

One of the clearest lessons from the GLP-1 boom is that timing matters. Engaging with partners like Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions early in the development cycle allows for smarter decisions, smoother scale-up, and fewer costly reformulations.

We help customers select optimal excipients and grades, develop prototypes that streamline manufacturing, and align sourcing strategies with global availability. Late-stage engagement often leads to avoidable setbacks, especially in fast-moving categories like nutraceuticals, where supply gaps can derail product launches.

By positioning ourselves not just as a distributor, but as an innovation partner, we encourage our customers to view supplier collaboration as a strategic lever, not a last-minute fix.

Looking Ahead: A Future of Possibility

The next three to five years of the GLP-1 ecosystem will be transformative. Scientific expansion into new indications will drive demand for novel companion products. New delivery systems, including oral and transdermal formats, will require different formulation approaches and ingredient technologies. Consumer expectations will continue to shift as well, creating opportunities for more personalized and clean-label solutions.

At Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions, we're focused on helping partners navigate that change. By connecting expertise across pharma, food, and nutraceuticals, and pairing technical support with global infrastructure, we help customers move ideas from development to commercialization with confidence.

To get more insights into our approach to GLP-1, read our full publication here: Bridging Boundaries in the GLP-1 Era: Pharma, Nutra, and Food Solutions

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End-to-end ingredient solutions for GLP-1 markets

Whether you are tackling reformulation, supply chain, or sourcing challenges, we have the experience and logistical infrastructure to keep you moving forward in the competitive GLP-1 market and complementary markets.

View our GLP-1 Solution

Article Authors

Aaron Lee, Global Vice President, Health & Nutrition
Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions

Jessica Zhang, Technical Application Manager, Pharmaceuticals
Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions

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