Soaring in popularity, GLP-1 medications—from weekly injections to newly available pills—are rapidly reshaping how Americans think about weight loss. In fact, a recent poll finds 1 in 8 adults are now taking medications like Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss or chronic conditions, and use is expected to keep rising.

The FDA rejected a Disc Medicine therapy for a rare blood disorder, the first experimental drug to go through a new program to fast-track drug reviews

To understand what China’s fast-developing drug industry might mean for global pharmaceutical companies, look no further than the market for GLP-1 drugs.

At Roxborough Memorial Hospital in Philadelphia, surgeon Piotr Krecioch has his hands full launching a program offering surgical interventions to treat obesity. One in three Philadelphians are living with obesity, putting them at higher risk of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, but these days fewer are seeking the bariatric surgical procedures long considered a leading medical treatment for the condition.

People who lose weight with GLP-1 drugs are likely to continue using the medication despite the side effects. Image Credit: geckophotos/Getty Images

A recent study found that many people using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss choose to continue the medication despite unpleasant side effects. 

The researchers found that in addition to weight loss, perceived reductions in appetite and cravings were the strongest predictors of satisfaction and intention to continue treatment with Ozempic. 

Could a simple patch, inspired by the weight-loss drug Ozempic, really help you shed excess kilos without the pain and effort of an injection?

By 2030, nearly half of all American adults will have obesity, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In every single state, researchers expect at least 35% of adults to have a body mass index of 30 or higher, the threshold that defines obesity. That prediction may come as a shock, as weight loss medications like Wegovy and Zepbound become more popular and more affordable.

Adding GLP-1 medications like Ozempic to progestin therapy could cut the risk of developing endometrial cancer. A retrospective study published in the journal JAMA Network Open found that women using this combination had a much lower risk of developing the disease than those on progestins alone.

Eli Lilly is challenging a decision over how the FDA classified its experimental, next-gen obesity shot, in a case that could affect the ability of compounders to rival it.

On Thursday, Lilly filed a notice …

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FDA vaccine chief Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH, who made the controversial decision to refuse to review Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine, has been accused of sexual harassment…

Eli Lilly has long been gearing up for the launch of orforglipron, announcing as early as February 2024 that it was ramping up manufacturing investments for the weight-loss pill.

Public Citizen contends that Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly’s obesity drugs are straining budgets so much that generics should be authorized.

(MedPage Today) — Risk for a rare, potentially blinding eye condition was low, but it was significantly higher in diabetes patients who started semaglutide (Ozempic) versus SGLT2 inhibitors, an observational study of U.S. veterans showed.
Among…

Novo Nordisk is ramping up its footprint in Ireland with a planned expansion of its Athlone factory to make its Wegovy pill, the company confirmed to Endpoints News.

The Athlone site will supply the pill …

Viking Therapeutics Inc. said after-market hours Feb. 11 that it plans to advance its oral dual GLP-1/GIP receptor, VK-2735, into a phase III trial for obesity in the third quarter of 2026. VK-2735 is a novel dual glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GLP-1/GIP) receptor agonist.

A few weeks back, I moderated a dinner conversation among company heads of HR and benefits here in Denver organized by primary care operator Marathon Health.

These employee benefit leaders are a group I hear …

Drugs like Zepbound and Wegovy are intended for people who are overweight. Some patients are using them after bariatric surgery to keep pounds from creeping back. Others may just want to lose a few pounds.

The oral version of Wegovy has made GLP-1 medicines more accessible and acceptable to many patients who had steered clear of injectable versions, healthcare analytics firm Truveta suggests.

(MedPage Today) — Women with nonmalignant uterine disease and a history of GLP-1 agonist and progestin treatment had a significantly lower risk of endometrial cancer (EC) compared with progestins alone, a retrospective study showed.
Based on…

Ascletis Pharma Inc. raised HK$843.53 million (US107.93 million) in a placement on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to advance its lead program, ASC-30, a small-molecule glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that can be dosed once monthly subcutaneously and once daily orally for treating obesity.

Three major reviews commissioned by the World Health Organization find that GLP-1 drugs including tirzepatide (sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound), semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy), and liraglutide (Victoza and Saxenda) can lead to substantial weight loss in people with obesity. But while the results are impressive, researchers caution that most trials were funded by drugmakers, long term safety data are still limited, and side effects such as nausea are common.

TUESDAY, Feb. 10, 2026 — Lowering the annual cost of semaglutide by 18 percent (from $8,604 to $7,055) or making the current cash price available to all patients would make semaglutide cost-effective, according to a study published online Feb. 4…

Hims & Hers has withdrawn its low cost compounded weight loss pill after pressure from top U.S. health officials and a major lawsuit. Image courtesy of Novo Nordisk

Hims & Hers recently announced a $49 compounded semaglutide pill, offering a low cost alternative to the new Wegovy pill.

However, the compounded version was withdrawn from the market after pressure from the HHS and FDA.

(MedPage Today) — The FDA approved three doses — 1.5 mg, 4 mg, and 9 mg — of a new oral semaglutide formulation for diabetes (Ozempic tablets), Novo Nordisk announced.
An ad for Novo Nordisk’s weight loss pill version of semaglutide (Wegovy…

Novo Nordisk A/S’ television ad introducing the tablet form of its weight-loss drug, Wegovy (semaglutide), to American consumers didn’t pass regulatory muster.

With the use of GLP-1 medications on the rise, cardiologists are seeing benefits to heart health, and it might not all be related to weight loss alone. GLP-1 medications, including semaglutide, are a class of drugs that act on receptors throughout the body, influencing insulin sensitivity, appetite regulation, inflammation and metabolic health. These therapies traditionally were used to treat diabetes; however, weight loss is a well-recognized side effect, and they are now used for weight loss goals.

Kailera will launch a global Phase 2 study of ribupatide this year, while Hengrui will push the asset into Phase 3 in China.

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 — Hims & Hers says it will stop selling a low-cost copy of a new weight-loss pill made by Novo Nordisk, after federal officials raised concerns that the product may violate drug laws.
The online health company…

Novo Nordisk has sued Hims for allegedly violating patents protecting semaglutide, seeking potentially “hundreds of millions” in damages, John Kuckelman, the pharma’s general counsel, said. The wellness platform pulled its version of the drug just days after launching it.

Novo Nordisk on Monday said it is suing telehealth company Hims & Hers for allegedly infringing its patent on the weight loss medication semaglutide — not just for the pill version but also for the injectable …

Novo Nordisk sues Hims & Hers for infringing on a key Wegovy patent.

GLP-1 drugs, which have helped some people curb drug and alcohol use, may unlock a pathway to moderation.

The telehealth company Hims & Hers said it will no longer sell a compounded version of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill, just days after announcing the new product.

The move comes after Novo, which launched its …

GLP-1 drugs have ushered in a new era in weight loss.

Welcome back to another edition of Endpoints Weekly! It’s Super Bowl weekend with the Patriots and Seahawks fighting for the championship. While our many Boston-area readers are surely excited, most of us here in New …

FDA will take “decisive steps” to thwart companies from mass marketing unapproved, compounded versions of GLP-1 drugs

The US government said it will refer telehealth and GLP-1 company Hims & Hers to the Department of Justice for investigation, following the company’s controversial launch of a compounded version of Novo …

A research team led by the Department of Medicine, under the School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has synergized the impacts of worldwide clinical trial data through a series of meta-analyses on GLP‑1 receptor agonists, an emerging cardiometabolic drug, offering in-depth insights into its safety profile and novel therapeutic potential in treating cardiovascular diseases.

(MedPage Today) — As the Winter Olympic Games get underway, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is monitoring an unexpected class of drugs: GLP-1 receptor agonists.
An advisory group that makes recommendations about WADA’s list of prohibited…