3 minSociety
Reed Jobs says GLP-1 drugs could help prevent and fight cancer
Reed Jobs, son of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, says GLP-1 obesity drugs could reduce cancer risk and may become among the most important medicines to reach the market.
Reed Jobs, son of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, says the GLP-1 drug class could play a major role in preventing and treating cancer, calling it potentially among the most important medicines ever to reach the market. In a recent interview with Fortune, Jobs argued that the drugs help fight obesity, a condition linked to a higher risk of 13 types of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jobs's interest in the field is personal. His father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, and Reed Jobs began working in cancer labs and studying pre-med at Stanford, viewing the search for a cure as his life's work. He later launched Yosemite, an oncology-focused venture capital firm. He said the firm's second funding round has surpassed its $350 million target. While he is also excited by the prospect of experimental cancer vaccines, he sees GLP-1 drugs as a significant route to reducing disease.
"I think these are going to be some of the most important drugs we've ever actually seen come to market," Jobs said. "[They're] not only going to help people who are obese and struggling with that, but with cancer, with cardiovascular disease, with a lot of things." He compared obesity to smoking, saying the longer a person lives with either risk factor, the greater the chance of developing certain cancers.
The scale of the problem is considerable. The American Cancer Society projected that 2.1 million Americans would be diagnosed with cancer this year and that more than 626,000 would die from the disease, roughly 1,700 people a day. The CDC estimates that cancers associated with obesity account for 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States each year, including cancers of the colon, pancreas, kidney and breast. A 2024 American Cancer Society study found smoking caused an estimated 19.3% of U.S. cancer cases, compared with 7.6% linked to excess body weight.
Some research points in the same direction. A study published in JAMA Oncology last year followed 86,632 adults eligible for antiobesity medications and found that those taking GLP-1 drugs had a 17% lower hazard of developing the 14 cancers studied over time than nonusers. Jobs acknowledged that the drugs have drawbacks, including muscle loss, but described their rise as the biggest biotechnology breakthrough of the past three years.
Jobs also said curing cancer entirely is unrealistic, because human cells always carry some risk of becoming cancerous. He hopes cancer can instead be managed the way HIV is today, with ongoing medication. "It's the victory over death, and that is what I want for cancer patients, and I think that that's more achievable and more realistic," he said.
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