Article by Isabel Glass
Oct 28, 2025
GLP-1s have ushered in one of the most rapid shifts in modern medicine, redefining how we approach obesity, metabolic disease, and even longevity. But the patient experience remains fragmented, while payers and pharma companies lack visibility into adherence and outcomes.
At Cade Ventures, we’re drawn to founders tackling structural white space - building connective tissue in fast-moving, fragmented markets where innovation has outpaced infrastructure. Few categories illustrate that tension more clearly than the rise of GLP-1 medications.
A Market Transforming Faster Than Its Infrastructure
GLP-1s have ushered in one of the most rapid shifts in modern medicine, redefining how we approach obesity, metabolic disease, and even longevity. With 16 million Americans already prescribed these medications - a number projected to climb to 70 million by 2028 - adoption is happening faster than any therapeutic class in recent memory.
But the patient experience remains fragmented. Prescriptions are often written in minutes, with little guidance on what to expect. Patients turn to Reddit threads, Facebook groups, and anecdotal advice to navigate side effects and lifestyle changes - and these solutions fall short; more than 65% of GLP-1 patients stop treatment within a year. Payers and pharma companies, meanwhile, lack visibility into adherence and outcomes. The result is a gap between the promise of the drugs and the lived reality of those taking them - a gap that has created both clinical and economic friction across the ecosystem.
A New Kind of Patient, a New Kind of Platform
This moment has also unlocked something powerful: a new generation of health consumers who are data-literate, curious, and motivated to take control of their metabolic health. These are patients who want real-time feedback, credible information, and continuous support — not episodic care or generic wellness advice.
We believe the next wave of health infrastructure will be built for them: systems that bridge medical credibility with consumer engagement, that pair AI insight with human context, and that create shared value for patients, providers, and industry partners alike.
The Alnu Approach
Alnu Health is building exactly that bridge. Its AI-powered companion app supports patients on GLP-1 therapies by helping them manage side effects, track progress, and sustain behavioral change - all while maintaining clinical oversight through a clinician-in-the-loop model. By remaining neutral in the prescribing landscape, Alnu can serve as a trusted layer between patients and the broader metabolic ecosystem.
The company’s roadmap reflects an understanding of where this market is headed: from adherence tools to personalized coaching, diagnostics integration, and eventually broader chronic-care offerings. As GLP-1s become part of a larger conversation around healthy aging and prevention, Alnu’s foundation positions it to evolve alongside that shift.
The Bigger Picture
For Cade, Alnu sits at the intersection of several themes central to our portfolio:
The rise of ever-engaged patients who expect continuous insight and agency in their care.
The convergence of AI and clinical personalization, turning raw biomarker and behavioral data into actionable feedback loops.
The need for trusted intermediaries that can align the incentives of patients, providers, and industry.
These forces together create an opportunity not just to improve adherence, but to redefine what it means to participate in one’s own health.
Looking Forward
At Cade, we believe improving adherence and outcomes for GLP-1 patients is one of the defining health opportunities of the decade. We’re excited to partner with Jesse Kessner and the all-star team at Alnu Health as they build the infrastructure for this new chapter in metabolic health - one grounded in data, trust, and patient empowerment.
Learn more at alnuhealth.com