Danone launches Oikos yogurt drink aimed at GLP-1 users

Danone is launching an Oikos yogurt drink aimed at users of Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs as the dairy giant seeks to cement the popular brand as a tool for consumers to support their nutritional needs while taking the medications, Food Dive reports.

The product, called Oikos Fusion, helps consumers build and retain muscle mass, targeting the roughly 10% of the U.S. population that has tried or is using GLP-1 drugs. Danone, citing data from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, said a fifth of the weight consumers lose is muscle while taking GLP-1 medications.

Rafael Acevedo, president of yogurt at Danone North America, said while many of the company’s brands, including Oikos, have already benefited from consumers taking GLP-1 medications, there was an opportunity to launch a product focused specifically on helping people build and retain muscle.

“We see it as a one-of-a-kind opportunity … that is bringing something new to the [yogurt] category,” Acevedo said in an interview. “GLP-1 is the center of the bullseye for this proposition.”

As consumers pay more attention to what they eat and drink, Danone, Chobani and other yogurt makers have been among the biggest beneficiaries. GLP-1 medications also suppress appetites, pushing consumers to seek out smaller portions packed with nutritional content.

The Paris-based company’s Oikos Fusion cultured dairy offering also could appeal more broadly to consumers who are active and looking to maintain muscle. It contains a patented blend of whey, leucine and vitamin D designed to support muscle mass and maintenance as well as digestive health — trends increasingly important among people trying to lose weight or improve their gut health.

The company started working on Oikos Fusion a year ago. Danone settled on a specialized blend of ingredients after finding that 2 to 3 grams of leucine can work with adequate amounts of complete protein and vitamin D to trigger muscle synthesis — the process the body uses to build and repair muscle proteins —  especially when paired with a balanced diet and exercise.