New Horizons in Metabolic Health: Unveiling the Future of Drug Discovery and Development

INTRODUCTION: Metabolic diseases (diabetes, obesity, NAFLD) pose a severe threat to global health, demanding innovative drug solutions. METHODS: This review systematically summarizes studies (2018-2025) on metabolic disease drug targets, innovative drug classes, and technological advancements, retrieved from PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. RESULTS: Key targets include PPARs (improving insulin resistance) AMPK (regulating energy metabolism) and gut microbiota-derived SCFAs; innovative drugs such as GLP-1 RAs (liraglutide) and SGLT2 inhibitors (dapagliflozin) show efficacy in glycemic control and liver protection; AI and CRISPR accelerate drug development. DISCUSSION: Challenges include interindividual microbiota variability and long-term safety of new drugs. CONCLUSION: Target discovery, drug innovation, and technological progress offer new hope for metabolic disease treatment, with a future focus on multi-target therapy and precision medicine.