How GLP-1 is transforming the future of food and beverage
GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro are transforming weight loss and reshaping the food industry – driving demand for nutrient-dense, portion-controlled products that match changing consumer tastes and health goals.
Health is not a matter of instant gratification
In a time where almost anything you could want is just a tap away—AI-powered answers in seconds, groceries delivered within the hour, endless content streamed instantly, and real-time validation through likes and shares—it’s no surprise that we’ve come to expect that same level of immediacy from our health. GLP-1 drugs promise rapid weight loss. Telemedicine […]
Virta Health CEO: GLP-1s Didn’t Kill Weight Watchers, Its Broken Model Did
Sami Inkinen, co-founder and CEO of Virta Health On the heels of Weight Watchers’ recent bankruptcy filing, the conversation around the future of the weight loss industry has intensified. While many point to the rise of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic as the primary disruptor, Sami Inkinen, co-founder and CEO of Virta Health, argues that the […]
Abstract P2-08-25: FITWISE: Feasibility study of tirzepatide for weight loss intervention in early stage hormone receptor positive/HER2 negative breast cancer
AbstractBackground: In obesity, significant hormonal and inflammatory changes create a mitogenic microenvironment and promote tumorigenesis. Obesity at time of breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and following treatment is associated with poorer BC survival, particularly for hormone receptor positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) BC. Furthermore, weight gain is a common side-effect of the adjuvant endocrine therapy necessary to decrease the risk of recurrence. Obesity disproportionately affects Black women 57.2% vs. 38.2% Non-Hispanic White women, with central obesity and higher adiposity being associated with higher all-cause and breast cancer-specific mortality among Black BC survivors. Previous reports have indicated that a 5% weight loss is sufficient to reverse the metabolic disarray induced by obesity. Tirzepatide, an analogue of gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), and a dual GIP and GLP-1 Receptor Agonist, a first-in-class new drug, demonstrated substantial and sustained reductions in body weight (up to 21%) and reversal of cardiometabolic disarray in a 72-week weight loss clinical trial. We hypothesize that tirzepatide will result in ≥5% in body weight reduction in obese patients during the adjuvant treatment of HR+/Her2- BC. Trial Design: This is a single arm, phase II, non-randomized trial for the weekly administration of tirzepatide for two years of weight loss intervention during the adjuvant treatment of early-stage HR+/HER2- BC. Patients fitting the obesity body mass index (BMI) criteria, BMI ≥30 kg/m2 or ≥27 kg/m2 with at least one weight related comorbidity will be eligible. This study will enroll 20 Black and 20 Non-Black BC patients at the Rutgers Cancer Institute/RWJ Barnabas Health System. This will enrich the cohort of trial participants with the Black population that has an established disparity in HR+/Her2- breast cancer and obesity related outcomes. Specific Aims: The primary endpoint is to determine how many patients achieve a 5% or more body weight reduction at the end of study treatment with tirzepatide. Secondary endpoints include safety and tolerability and to determine the feasibility of using tirzepatide for weight loss intervention during the adjuvant treatment for HR+/Her2- BC, based on discontinuation rates. Changes in different obesity measurements such as BMI, body fat distribution via Waist/Hip Ratio (WHR) and waist circumference will be assessed. 3-year invasive disease-free survival, 3-year distant relapse-free survival will be determined and changes in obesity related metabolic markers and ctDNA will be assessed. Exploratory objectives investigating adipokines and their receptors, metabolomic pathways and immune cell metabolism will be conducted. Statistical Methods: Our outcome of interest will be the percentage of patients with a weight loss of more than 5 percent. We plan to carry out a 5 percent level one-sided test of proportions in a single-arm study. With 40 patients, we have 80 percent power to detect an increase from 0.42 (the derived estimated proportion with weight loss exceeding 5 percent with standard therapy) to 0.617 in patients treated with tirzepatide. Results: This is a clinical trial in progress with IRB approval (approval number: Pro2024000646) and can be found on clinicaltrials.gov. Results will be presented at a future date. Conclusion: Successful outcomes from this trial would demonstrate that tirzepatide administration can lead to substantial weight loss and significant improvement in cardiometabolic health in obese BC patients, and may help reduce the risk of BC recurrence during the adjuvant treatment for HR+/HER2- breast cancer. The exploratory objectives may provide biological insights and potential targets for treatment. Grant Support – Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research/The Hilton Foundation. Contact information: Coral Omene, MD/PhD. email: [email protected] Format: Coral Omene, Mridula George, Maria Kowzun, Shicha Kumar, Firas Eladoumikdachi, Lindsay Potdevin, Jonathan Smith, Kathleen Toomey, George Raptis, Lori Schleischer, Trishala Meghal, Gerardo Capo, Dirk Moore, Eileen White, Joshua Rabinowitz, Lydia Lynch, Yibin Kang, Kellen Olszewski, Adana Llanos, Elisa Bandera, Anita Kinney, Deborah Toppmeyer, Shridar Ganesan. FITWISE: Feasibility study of tirzepatide for weight loss intervention in early stage hormone receptor positive/HER2 negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2024; 2024 Dec 10-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2025;31(12 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-08-25.
10 things we can (probably) expect from ‘Spaceballs 2’
In what’s being sold as a fully transparent cash grab, Mel Brooks announced today the coming of Spaceballs II, a sequel to his 1987 Star Wars spoof that he only made because his kid liked George Lucas’ space operas. Brooks broke the news, true to Spaceballs: The T-Shirt, Spaceballs: The Cereal, Spaceballs: The Flamethrower-fashion, with […]
Sleep Apnea Patients More Ready for GLP-1 Drugs Than Sleep Clinics Are
(MedPage Today) — SEATTLE — Weight loss drugs have gained momentum as treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) at sleep clinics across the country — although patients appear more ready for the shift than the clinical team is. In December…
LucyRx, Personify Health partner for GLP-1 management
Personify’s Transform Weight Management program will provide LucyRx members with personalized, coach-led guidance, incentives and assets to help manage their weight and medication.
THE PEOPLE I KNOW SEEM TO BE GETTING STRONG RESULTS: Study: Real-world results of GLP-1 drugs don’t
THE PEOPLE I KNOW SEEM TO BE GETTING STRONG RESULTS: Study: Real-world results of GLP-1 drugs don’t match trials.
The weight loss drug Mounjaro has been approved to treat sleep apnea. How does it work?
Last week, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the weight-loss drug Mounjaro to treat sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep.
Real-World Weight Loss With Semaglutide, Tirzepatide Less Than That Seen in Clinical Trials
THURSDAY, June 12, 2025 — For patients with obesity initiating pharmacotherapy with semaglutide or tirzepatide, weight loss at one year is 8.7 percent on average, which is lower than the percentages reported from clinical trials, according to a…