Fighting obesity is the key to a long and healthy life: Peter Bely at the SmartZdrav Congress

Moscow, February 3rd

Peter Bely, MD, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of PROMOMED PJSC, made a presentation at the SmartZdrav Congress, a large federal platform dedicated to the formation of a holistic view of health through the synthesis of science, culture and healthy lifestyle practices. As part of the thematic session "Food, emotions, appearance", moderated by Professor Oksana Mikhailovna Drapkina, MD, he presented the concept of combating obesity as a basis for increasing healthy life expectancy.

Peter Bely began by explaining the evolutionary roots of the problem, noting that obesity is a consequence of the work of the ancient reward system of the brain, formed in conditions of scarcity. "Our ancient brain works according to the principle: 'The next meal is unknown when, you need to create a reserve,'" he explained. It is this mechanism that in the modern world leads patients into the trap of chronic weight gain. The solution, according to the speaker, should not be mandatory prohibitions, but modern nature-like pharmaceutical technologies.

The founder of PROMOMED highlighted in detail the path of therapy development. The first revolution was made by GLP-1 receptor agonists, which, acting on the incretin system, help to relieve the pancreas and normalize eating behavior. The next step was the appearance of dual agonists (GLP-1 and GIP), which specifically affect adipose tissue, contributing to the loss of fat mass while maintaining muscle mass. Petr Bely stressed that PROMOMED is already working on the creation of a triple agonist, a drug of the future that will affect glucagon receptors for even more comprehensive control of metabolism.

An extremely important point of the presentation was the need for long-term therapy. "No matter how quickly a person reaches the target weight, maintenance therapy should be long enough — at least two years," said Petr Bely. "This is necessary so that the brain is rebuilt and the person can safely complete the treatment." He called the main goal of such therapy not just weight loss, but an increase in healthy life expectancy, since weight normalization directly affects key factors of aging — systemic inflammation and insulin resistance.

Peter Bely also noted that the Russian pharmaceutical industry, in particular PROMOMED, has a complete portfolio of solutions to combat obesity and metabolic disorders, from first—generation drugs (Reduxin®) to the latest dual agonist, Tirzetta®. The Company conducts all clinical trials in Russia in accordance with international standards. "Our common goal is not just to cure a person of obesity. And to give him the opportunity to live a long, healthy and happy life," concluded Peter Alexandrovich.

Background information

The SmartZdrav Congress, held on February 3, 2026 at the Rossiya National Center in Moscow, was organized by the Federation Council, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and leading medical research centers. The Forum brought together experts from the fields of healthcare, science, culture, education and business to develop interdisciplinary approaches to public health promotion and prevention of chronic diseases.