“My worry is people aren’t thinking about all of obesity and all of metabolic disorders and some of the tradeoffs.” In the last few years, obesity medicine has been moving toward a more precision medicine model — identifying different subtypes and tailoring treatments to patients. The new data also add empirical weight to anecdotes of bariatric programs closing in Boston and other parts of the country due to a mix of decreases in demand, and ongoing health care consolidation. “But for patients, with all the different treatment options that now exist, this truly is a golden age. In one, researchers from the University of South Florida found that the cost of ongoing use of some GLP-1 drugs like Saxenda and Wegovy surpasses bariatric surgery in 9 to 12 months. Fix Europe’s housing crisis or risk fuelling the far-right, UN expert warnsOzempic and Mounjaro are FDA-approved diabetes drugs comprised of semaglutide, prescribed primarily for treatment of type 2 diabetes.Semaglutide and other anti-obesity medications are available as NHS-funded treatments only at a tier of weight-care management that often requires hospital support and that typically lasts for only two years.So far, Zepbound has seemed superior, as testing showed treatment helped people with obesity lose up to 21% of their body weight.” The reality is that many people are already battling this issue.Health experts have previously raised concerns about weight regain after a patient finishes their course of the drug, with one study suggesting that weight regain could occur within eight weeks of finishing."They're finally in the range of bariatric surgery," Aronne says, noting that it could give people an alternative to the surgery, with potentially few side effects. Only a healthcare professional can determine whether Wegovy® (semaglutide) is the appropriate option for you. For children aged 12 and up with obesity, along with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to lose weight and keep it off Wegovy® is the first and only GLP-1 weight-loss medication available in a pill He says starting with a low dose and increasing it over time can help people tolerate the drug better. In the U.S., people living in the Southeast and in rural areas are at higher risk. There's some evidence that hypnosis might help with weight loss, especially when used together with therapy, diet, and exercise. You can buy many types of herbs and supplements that claim to help with weight loss. Find out about the latest drug treatments for obesity. Wegovy is a GLP-1 receptor agonist anti-obesity medication that has several cardiovascular benefits, based on data from the SELECT Trial published last fall in The New England Journal of Medicine. Can a popular anti-obesity medication lower your chances of a heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death? However, more patients receiving Wegovy discontinued the trial due to gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea and diarrhea, primarily during the 20-week dose escalation phase. Results showed that Wegovy treatment improved cardiovascular outcomes, regardless of the patients’ starting weight and the amount of body weight they lost. “While our trial focused on cardiovascular events, many other chronic diseases including several types of cancer, osteoarthritis, and anxiety and depression would benefit from effective weight management,” she added. Kelly Clarkson opens up about whether or not she is taking Ozempic Leaked NHS figures reveal 15,000 died in care of mental health trusts in one year Sexual assault in mental health to be probed following The Independent’s investigation The cost of sectioning people + holding them in hospital is 1.2 M per person + they call us crazy ! Hypothetical patients for demonstrative purposes only. All patients received once-weekly Wegovy® injection during the run-in period of 20 weeks, which included 16 weeks of dose escalation. Wegovy® pen 2.4 mg demonstrated improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors at week 687,9 These data are from the cumulative frequency distribution for change in body weight.9 Results from that trial could come out next year after initial data from separate studies examining Zepbound as a potential treatment for other health conditions, including heart failure. Wall Street is enthusiastic about Zepbound in part because it may cause more weight loss than Wegovy. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in both drugs, has a "very strong shot of being the best-selling molecule of all time in the pharmaceutical industry," said Guggenheim's Fernandez. But Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks said on the call that the company is "aggressively planning" further production buildup for Mounjaro and other drugs. Executives also said that Eli Lilly is on track to achieve its goal of doubling production capacity for drugs such as Mounjaro, in part through investments in new manufacturing sites in North Carolina and Indiana. Novo Nordisk's boss explained what impact Ozempic can have on users weight in the long run This can be a huge concern if your insurance provider does not cover the new medication. For example, if your body builds tolerance to one brand at the highest dose, you may have to switch to another drug. Changes in prescription or health plans may lead to continuity challenges. On "CBS Mornings" Wednesday, Dr. Céline Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, said these results were better than expected. Contrave, for example, has a lower risk of GI issues, but is known to have other potential side effects such as seizures and high-blood pressure, he said. In September, the US Food and Drug Administration added a warning to the label for Ozempic to account for reports of blocked intestines in some patients. In New York after briefly dropping after the release of the study results. Wegovy cuts risk of heart attacks in milestone cardiovascular trial It also noted a few adverse effects of semaglutide, which included diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disturbances . STEP TEENS was conducted regarding the efficacy and safety of semaglutide in adolescents . Semaglutide which is given subcutaneously was first approved by the FDA in 2017 for the use of type 2 diabetes management under the brand name of Ozempic® . Court rules that patients have a right to disbelieve doctors 8 ways to reduce your stroke risk – no matter what age you are Are mental health conditions overdiagnosed in the UK Why people are watching livestreams of influencers gambling – and how it could be fuelling addiction Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic® and Wegovy®, both weight loss drugs. When a person stops taking ozempic, the drugs’s benefits can be reversed. Many ozempic users regain the majority of their prior weight loss. Demand for these weight loss drugs is skyrocketing into the stratosphere. Scientific American spoke with Massachusetts General Hospital cardiologist James Januzzi, who was not involved in the study, about how we should view its new findings. During her time at AZoNetwork, Emily has interviewed over 300 leading experts in all areas of science and healthcare including the World Health Organization and the United Nations. Healthcare providers should monitor patients with kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy, depression, or suicidal behaviors or thoughts. The DWP is implicated in the deaths of hundreds of disabled people. Inside the plan to give free cash to homeless people in Manchester “ it is time to try something new” Grassroot assemblies empower people to fight back against Trump’s agenda NAION is thought to affect 10 out of 100,000 people in the general population. The new study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, was led by Joseph Rizzo, a professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School in the US. Change from baseline in body weight by week for A, All participants in… Cardiometabolic improvements seen from week 0 to week 68 with semaglutide reverted towards baseline at week 120 for most variables. Still, some bigger drugmakers may wait to see larger and later-stage data from smaller companies before moving to acquire them. Semaglutide regulates food intake and promotes weight reduction by suppressing appetite and boosting the feeling of fullness, making people eat less and thus consume fewer calories. In March 2024, the FDA approved the Wegovy to lower the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in adults with cardiovascular disease who are either obese or overweight. The FDA approved semaglutide under the brand name Wegovy for chronic weight management in adults in June 2021. But the real reason why the drugs are popular is because of individuals and influencers reporting much higher weight loss numbers online, similar to bariatric surgery. Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro are popular prescription drugs offering rapid and significant weight loss. Not all of it is positive, as revealed by a new study conducted by Blue Health Intelligence that examined nearly 170,000 GLP-1 users who were prescribed the medication for weight loss. An early study showed that patients taking semaglutide lost 15% of their body weight in 68 weeks. That same warning also appears on labels for Wegovy and Eli Lilly & Co.’s diabetes drug Mounjaro that’s frequently used for weight loss. They are part of a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, which mimic a hormone produced in the gut to suppress a person's appetite.The Florida victim was diagnosed with NAION in both eyes allegedly caused by Ozempic medication.Lawsuits assert that Ozempic causes Ozempic stomach paralysis and ozempic bowel injury.“If your vomiting is affecting your hydration or you are having to take other medications to treat the side effects of this medication, then I think it’s time to reconsider.”Notably, about one in four of these patients did not carry a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, suggesting that a substantial portion of GLP-1 use is being driven by weight loss and other emerging indications outside of diabetes care (Figure 2).Or current medical abuse – listen to the people - stop Electro convulsive treatment now – WendySimply looking at greenery can boost mental healthThe FDA disclosed that it had “received reports of gastroparesis with semaglutide and liraglutide, some of which documented the adverse event as not recovered after discontinuation of the respective product at the time of the report.”Previous studies have highlighted the risk of those conditions in diabetic patients taking GLP-1s, according to the researchers.Stigma can take a toll on your mental health. total number of notices filed so far this month : 2765 CONTRACTS (NOTICES) for 13.325 million oz Participants lost weight steadily for 16 months before plateauing. As with any medicine, the MHRA keeps the safety and effectiveness of semaglutide under close review. The active ingredient, semaglutide, is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. More from Global News Results from the head-to-head study showed treatment with Zepbound resulted in 47% greater relative weight loss than Wegovy, a finding that could advantage Lilly in the companies’ market competition. Categorical weight loss at 68 weeks for STEP trials 1–4 Percent initial weight loss at 68 weeks for STEP trials 1–4 This treatment option that prevents heart disease and strokes is an important step forward in tackling the serious health consequences of obesity. The approval is based on new data from a post-approval clinical study which demonstrated that semaglutide (2.4 mg once weekly by subcutaneous injection, for up to five years) lowers the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) vs placebo. This medicine, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, was already approved for use in the treatment of obesity and for weight management, to be used alongside diet, physical activity and behavioural support. The only difference is that Wegovy has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight loss, whereas Ozempic hasn't. A 2022 study suggested that after stopping the jabs, it's a possibility that people may regain their appetites and the pounds that they previously shed. A 2025 study by analysts at the University of British Columbia determined that ladies who utilized GLP-1 prescription drugs are at a greater risk of suffering though alopecia. An ozempic class action lawsuit will only benefit weight loss lawyers to the detriment of victims. Research studies have highlighted an elevated risk of intestinal obstructions in patients utilizing Semaglutide drugs, encompassing Wegovy and Ozempic. Once word got out in medical circles about Ozempic leading to weight loss, some doctors commenced prescribing it to patients who do not have diabetes. Let’s take a look at how it works and how it performed in trials, to shed some light into what you might expect if you end up trying it yourself. A decade of reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine The company in August had announced that in this trial, called Select, Wegovy reduced the overall rate of major heart problems — heart attacks, stroke, or cardiovascular-related death — by 20%. Statistics on people with a learning disability and autistic people in mental health hospitals - October 2025 Steep rise in black mental health patients injured while restrained by police Free school meals ‘cut obesity and help reading skills’ in England, study finds §Observed data include only patients who had a body-weight assessment at week 104 (144 of 152 for Wegovy® arm and 128 of 152 for placebo arm) and do not include all randomized patients. Weight loss in pounds (lb) calculated as 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of mean baseline body weight of Wegovy® and placebo patients. Observed weight loss at 104 weeks1 Vs 2.6% (~6 lb) weight loss with placebo During the trial, 13% of patients in the Wegovy® arm discontinued treatment compared with 27% in the placebo arm.1Missing data were imputed from retrieved subjects of the same randomized treatment arm (RD-MI). What is the most important information I should know about Wegovy®? Those who took the placebo lost 2.1% of their body weight after that same time period. Patients who took a 12-milligram dose of retatrutide lost 17.5% of their body weight, or 41 pounds, on average after 24 weeks, compared with 1.6% for those who received the placebo. Wegovy, also known as semaglutide, mimics a hormone released by the body after a meal to flip one appetite switch in the brain. With an average starting weight of 113kg (nearly 18 stone), participants were assigned the highest tolerable dose of either Mounjaro or Wegovy. So whenever we cut back on calories, our bodies drive us to eat high-calorie foods and gain weight. Some obesity experts believe diet and exercise just aren't enough to address obesity. Think about getting treatment for any emotional health issues before you try to overhaul your eating and exercise habits. When you're depressed, you may not feel up to exercise or take part in other healthy lifestyle habits. Many people use food to help them deal with feelings of sadness, stress, or anxiety. “Imagine a future where we’re treating obesity and, in effect, treating these other obesity-related diseases” like hypertension, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, Dr. Ania Jastreboff, director of the Yale Obesity Research Center, who helped conduct the trial, said at a briefing Friday. Weight-loss drug Wegovy produces ‘largest benefit ever seen’ for patients with most common form of heart failure, trial finds Genes, sleep, stress, hormones, physical activity, and certain medications can impact weight management. Some illnesses and some medications can also lead to weight gain. According to the World Health Organization, more than 4 million people die every year due to obesity or overweight. About Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company that's been making innovative medicines to help people with diabetes lead longer, healthier lives for more than 100 years. “But when I take away the medication, that tension is going to come back,” says Sharma, who is based in Berlin and consults part-time for several companies that have an interest in obesity. The body naturally tries to stay around its own weight point, a pull that obesity specialist Arya Sharma likens to a taut rubber band. Many regain a substantial amount of what they lost with the help of the medications. The treatment’s aim is to reduce the risk of health complications posed by a large amount of excess body fat, such as heart and liver disease and certain cancers. People might lose the means to pay for the costly drugs, experience brutal side effects, be affected by continuing shortages or be offered limited-term prescriptions. Indications for this drug are chronic weight management in patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg/m2 or greater who have at least one weight-related ailment or in patients with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater. Wegovy, is a more potent version of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug semaglutide. In early August, Novo Nordisk announced that Wegovy reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke or heart-related death in people with cardiovascular disease and obesity by 20%, a result expected to boost use of the medicine even further. The comparative figure for Wegovy was 16% in the Phase 3 trials Novo used to gain Food and Drug Administration approval. With Zepbound, Eli Lilly appears to believe it’s a risk worth taking. Any company that sponsors one is doing so with the knowledge testing could reveal its drug is equivalent to a competitor or, worse, less effective. Rybelsus is a oral medication tablet taken on a daily basis. It could be simplier to engage in weight management if a person does not experience persistent or possibly intrusive thoughts about eating. Among these risks, the threat of intestinal blockage emerges as a significant concern, carrying both serious and life-threatening implications. Unfortunately, prolonged usage amplifies the risk of encountering adverse effects. This compound emulates the GLP-1 satiety hormone within our bodies, allowing the medication to target brain regions that regulate appetite and food intake. (Some doctors had been prescribing Wegovy “off-label” for this purpose. This approval may increase the chances that insurance companies will cover the cost of the medication prescribed for heart-health benefits.) However, Dr. Krumholz says most people tolerate the drug well when administered gradually, increasing the dose a little every week. About a third of the SELECT trial participants reported serious side effects, and about 17% in the group that took Wegovy and 8% of those who received a placebo left the study for that reason. To arrive at their estimate, researchers combed through national registries, looking for people with the same characteristics as those in the SELECT trial and extrapolating that representative group to the population of the entire nation. "This approval is a significant decision because people living with excess weight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease and without diabetes have never had an FDA-approved treatment option that lowers weight and reduces the likelihood of another cardiovascular event," said Dr. A. Michael Lincoff, Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic and the lead study author of the SELECT outcomes trial. The FDA decision is based on the results of the landmark SELECT phase 3 cardiovascular outcomes trial that examined the effect of adding Wegovy® 2.4 mg or placebo to cardiovascular standard of care in adults with overweight and obesity with established CVD and without diabetes.2 Wegovy® 2.4 mg significantly reduced the risk for first occurrence of a three-part composite MACE endpoint consisting of cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack, or non-fatal stroke.1,2 The primary composite outcome occurred in 6.5% of patients treated with Wegovy® and 8.0% with placebo. The trial included 751 people from across the U.S. who were overweight or had obesity and at least one other weight-related health problem, but not diabetes. People taking Eli Lilly’s obesity drug, Zepbound, lost nearly 50 per cent more weight than those using rival Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy in the first head-to-head study of the blockbuster medications. In people taking semaglutide for weight loss, 6.7% had NAION compared with 0.8% on other drugs. It’s important to have a range of drugs to treat a disease as widespread as obesity in the U.S., said Dr. Angela Fitch, chief medical officer of knownwell, an obesity care company. The GLP-1 drugs have become increasingly popular, with at least one in eight U.S. adults reporting their use, according to a 2024 survey by KFF, a independent health policy research organization. More than three-quarters of patients taking both drugs reported at least one side effect, mostly mild to moderate gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting. In addition, nearly 32 per cent of people taking Zepbound lost at least a quarter of their body weight, compared to about 16 per cent of those taking Wegovy, the study found. The JPML reasoned that, while the side effects differ in the two MDLs, there might be overlapping issues in the numerous pretrial motions and in the litigation process. Victims in the lawsuits assert that the manufacturers failed to properly warn of gastrointestinal risks and vison loss side effects among other allegations. This is important for the incretin effect which works with GLP-1 to reduce blood sugar and assist with losing weight. No matter what type of treatment or program you use, overcoming obesity will require you to change your eating and exercise habits.Still, "it remains unclear" how much of the results were a benefit of losing weight or the drug itself, an editorial accompanying the study noted.“These medications are likely to be needed for a very long time to maintain weight,” Siegel said, “and we only have a relatively short-term experience with them.”And how does it compare with other drugs that cause weight loss like Saxenda?Results of the study—funded by Ozempic manufacturer Novo Nordisk—were presented by the Israeli researchers at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Hamburg, Germany.GLP-1 agonists are typically approved for the management of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and in some cases weight management but are growing in popularity for their off-label utilization.Investors and analysts had, to varying degrees, expected Zepbound to prove superior to Wegovy, based on studies that suggested Lilly’s drug spurred more weight loss as well as analyses of patient records that hinted the same. Weight-loss jabs including Ozempic and Wegovy linked to rare condition that causes blindness - study In terms of safety, the proportion of participants in the SELECT trial with serious adverse events was lower in those treated with Wegovy compared to the placebo group—33% versus 36%—which was mainly driven by differences in cardiac disorders. On average, participants dropped 10.2% of their body weight, compared to 1.5% in placebo counterparts. The rise of GLP-1 therapies and the evolution of obesity treatment Over 40% of adults in the U.S.... If you’re a payer, employer or provider navigating the GLP-1 revolution, don’t rely solely on published trials. By linking pharmacy claims, electronic medical records, social determinants and lab results, we can uncover patterns in adherence, dosing and comorbidities that clinical trials can’t reveal. New drug data from Pfizer and Amgen, and the potential for more buyouts or collaborations between larger companies and smaller makers of obesity drugs, could alter the market's competitive landscape in the coming months. Eli Lilly's newly approved weight loss drug, Zepbound, could garner more than a billion dollars in sales in its first year on the market. Patients have been struggling to get their hands on Novo Nordisk's weight loss injection Wegovy, its diabetes treatment Ozempic, and Eli Lilly's diabetes injection Mounjaro. Researchers don’t precisely know how Wegovy’s active ingredient, semaglutide, protects the heart, and are conducting studies to understand it. The findings show that Wegovy is effective in the long term, over multiple years, provided patients stay on it. Best Life offers the most up-to-date information from top experts, new research, and health agencies, but our content is not meant to be a substitute for professional guidance. The study results complement the initial data the Danish company released last week from a large clinical trial, which found that Wegovy slashed the risk of serious heart problems and heart-related death by 20%. Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight loss injection Wegovy could prevent up to 1.5 million heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events in the U.S. over 10 years, according to a study released this week. My doctor asked me, how do I feel about medication for weight loss? “If I have to take something for the rest of my life to help me manage it and keep me out of type two diabetes, I can deal with that.” “Among other things, I know that this weight thing is something chemically messed up and it’s not something that I can willpower out of,” she says. “Diet culture does not approach obesity as a chronic condition. “So to keep those biological pressures from working against you, we need the drug on board. Support a global economic system that prioritises people and planetBoxes for the medications Wegovy and Zepbound are arranged for a photograph in California on Thursday, May 8, 2025.Beyond the clinic – community led mental health programs offer hopeThe data used to support the findings of this study are cited within the study and available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.But details of the study released over the weekend suggest Wegovy’s benefits stretch beyond the known advantages to losing weight.A CDC-related study that was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine determined that semaglutide-related hospital emergency department visits were estimated to be over 25,000 times from 2022 through 2023.He was under a physician’s supervision to treat higher blood sugar caused by type 2 diabetes. STAT Plus: Epic launches AI Charting, potentially scrambling the ambient scribe market The “treat-to-target” strategy allowed patients to start low and increase the dose only when weight loss stalled. Participants lost 16.7% of baseline weight over 64 weeks, matching clinical trial outcomes despite using half the typical drug dose. A Danish cohort study evaluated an online weight-loss program that combined behavioral support with individualized semaglutide dosing. A similar trial for the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic, which uses the same ingredient, semaglutide, previously showed it could reduce cardiovascular risk by 26% — but no trial had yet shown a risk reduction in people without diabetes. On Thursday, the company released new data to support its aim of fast-track approval, including topline results from another study, called SURMOUNT-2, which shows weight loss of up to 15.7% among people with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. All three clinical trials demonstrated that semaglutide (injected or oral) has superior efficacy compared with placebo and other antidiabetic medications in weight reduction, which led to Food and Drug Administration approval of Wegovy (semaglutide) for weight loss. "I'm in battles all the time with insurance companies not paying for this group of medications in people who should absolutely be on it," LaPook says. But drugmakers and obesity treatment advocates have been pushing for broader coverage, including asking Congress to pass legislation to mandate that Medicare pay for the drugs. The medications are often not covered by private health insurance or subject to strict preauthorization requirements. Still, "it remains unclear" how much of the results were a benefit of losing weight or the drug itself, an editorial accompanying the study noted. Until more is known, George said, people need to be open with all their doctors about taking any drugs. Novo Nordisk’s diabetes medication Ozempic and weight-loss drug Wegovy are two brand names for an agonist called semaglutide, which binds to specific receptors in the body to trigger the release of the hormone glucagonlike peptide-1 (GLP-1). "I think what you'll see is healthcare providers, doctors who are experienced in managing patients on these medications, when they the patient get to their goal weight, they'll say, 'Okay, let's drop your dose down first, and then we could try to space out the frequency of your dosing intervals,'" Ashton said. It’s good to see the FDA taking obesity more seriously, and this latest approval for an effective weight loss drug will continue to help clinicians and patients in the fight against obesity. So it’s not cheap by any means, and like Saxenda, many patients end up turning to cheaper alternatives, especially when their insurances refuse to cover these weight loss medications. ++++ Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide products (Zepbound and Mounjaro) unite GLP-1 medication with a hormone that is hunger-related, named GIP. Took a GLP-1 Drug (name brand drug / not compound version) manufactured by Novo Nordisk or Elli Lilly, In 2025, nearly one in eight people, over 18, admitted that they had an active GLP-1 prescription pursuant to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. According to a nonpartisan health policy organization’s (KFF), plaintiffs in the lawsuits constitute a tiny fraction of the 12% of U.S. persons over 18 with a GLP-1 prescription. Regardless, doctors expect the results to increase the number of people who take Wegovy. Food and Drug Administration to expand its approval of semaglutide to include cardiovascular uses. In the meantime, the issue is whether insurers will be willing to cover the drug for this indication. That number is more than 60, which means that there were more than 59 patients who did not have an event prevented, at least within the three years of follow-up. Was the drug actually as effective as it seems? Insurance coverage is limited for Wegovy, part of a class of medications called GLP-1s.Recently in response to uncertainty of the value of increasing amounts of paper dollars not backed by anything, the demand for real money in the form of precious metals has overwhelmed the ability to use short-selling to hold down the prices of gold and silver.The significantly increased dose makes it a better appetite suppressant, but is likely to come with increased side effects, and decreased drug tolerability.“While our trial focused on cardiovascular events, many other chronic diseases including several types of cancer, osteoarthritis, and anxiety and depression would benefit from effective weight management,” she added.Novo hasn’t been the solo winner of the weight-loss-drug boom—Eli Lilly has also been on the receiving end of the interest in this space.Throughout history, gold and silver have been the means of payments. “We’re going to need to use them all just because we have so many patients who need treatment,” she added. A drug may work well for one patient, but not for others. Wegovy has been found to cut the risk of serious heart problems by 20 per cent, she noted. The tirzepatide group trimmed about 7 inches (17.8 centimeters) from their waist circumference, compared to about five inches (12.7 centimeters) with semaglutide. While tirzepatide won out in what Aronne said many view as “a drag race of efficacy,” both are important tools for treating obesity, which affects about 40 per cent of American adults. Compounding pharmacies are known for making custom type alternatives of prescriptions to accommodate specific needs of patients. Novo Nordisk is the holder of the only patent for semaglutide. A victim filed an Ozempic lawsuit against Novo Nordisk alleging that Novo Nordisk knew its popular drug leads to stomach and gastrointestinal problems such as gastroparesis. Insurance-grade solutions that excel in managing risk and rebates The data used to support the findings of this study are cited within the study and available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Healthcare providers must make sure to consider the unique history, needs, and goals of their patients before prescribing a GLP-1 agonist. This rise in popularity can be attributed to successes demonstrated by clinical trials and the prevalence of discussions regarding this on social media. Eli Lilly also alleges that certain telehealth corporations are in violation of California’s corporate practice of medicine (CPOM) laws. In the some of the most recent lawsuits, Eli Lilly alleges that the telehealth companies were in violation of the Lanham Act as well as California law. “People are just waking up and developing this vision condition,” Jason Goldstein, the lawyer representing the patients, told Newsday. The researchers identified over 46,000 patients who were over 66 years old who had a GLP-1 RA script. Experimental drugs aim to surpass weight-loss stars like Ozempic and WegovyIf this happens, it’s important to contact a mental health professional."We do believe insurers understand that untreated obesity is a gateway into 60 other health conditions," Langa says.Kosiborod said that as a physician taking care of patients, he found the results “extremely gratifying, because what I now can tell them is that we have pretty definitive evidence that if we prescribe this medication, you will feel better and be able to do more, and it’s going to have a significant impact on your quality of life.”MPs call for ban on electric shocks as mental health treatmentAre young people drifting to the far right politicallyBoxed warnings are typically utilized by the FDA when a drugs complications can result in catastrophic harm or even death.Tirzepatide and semaglutide were removed recently from a list of drug shortages by the U.S.If paid for by health insurance at all, medications or surgery are usually only covered for those with a BMI of 30 or higher, or 27 and higher if a person also has other medical issues such as heart disease, sleep apnea, diabetes, or hypertension. Doctors have traditionally used body mass index (BMI) as a tool to determine whether someone is overweight or obese. They contribute to diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Carrying extra weight affects the way your body works. Novo Nordisk today announced that Wegovy® (semaglutide) injection 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg and Ozempic® are now available at a limited time price of $199... Novo Nordisk today announced the launch of a new consumer campaign for Ozempic® (semaglutide) injection 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 2 mg, reinventing how... However, he stressed that while the study identified an increased risk, it "relates to a disorder that is relatively uncommon". Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have also snapped up smaller obesity drug companies this year to maintain their dominance in the market. Swiss company Roche said earlier this month it would buy the privately held U.S. obesity drugmaker Carmot Therapeutics for $2.7 billion. Pfizer said it expects to release more data on that version of the drug in the first half of 2024, which will help the company decide whether to start a late-stage study on the pill. And, although physicians consider these drugs a lifelong treatment, there’s no biological harm in suddenly stopping. Although Miras suspects that most doctors will abide by the time limit on semaglutide use, either to adhere strictly to NICE guidance or because of health-service capacity issues, some might make exceptions depending on disease severity. Since 2022, the company has announced shortages of both Wegovy and Ozempic; the latter is sometimes prescribed off-label for weight loss. The drug’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk in Bagsværd, Denmark, has also had trouble keeping up with the demand for semaglutide. About 7% of participants on the drug quit the trial because of adverse events, gastrointestinal or otherwise. The existing MDL in federal Court pertains to gastrointestinal injuries involving GLP-1 drugs. Eli Lilly is pursuing a motion to centralize federal lawsuits that allege vision loss from Ozempic and related drugs. As of October 3, 2025, there are over 2,809 lawsuits in the MDL pertaining to Ozempic, Mounjaro and numerous other GLP-1 medications. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) establish a different and separate MDL in Federal Court for lawsuits alleging vision loss from GLP-1 drugs. The study, published in the research journal JAMA, comes as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, Ozempic and similar treatments skyrocket in popularity in the U.S. for their ability to cause dramatic weight loss over time. So much work has gone into developing GLP-1 agonists and getting the medications to people who need them, Ard says. People can also try anti-obesity medications that work in other ways, such as orlistat, which reduces how much dietary fat gets absorbed by the body. For people who have to stop taking GLP-1 agonists for the foreseeable future, continued dietary changes, exercise and mental-health counselling — which should already be in place while on the medication — are a must, Stanford says. Most patients taking GLP-1 drugs for weight management didn’t stay on their prescribed treatment for the minimum 12 weeks, meaning they were unlikely to attain clinically meaningful weight loss. This latest study shows semaglutide can reduce patients' risks of experiencing cardiac events, which are more common in overweight and obese individuals. They have long been used in patients with diabetes, but their long-term effects aren’t well established in patients with obesity or those who use them off-label for weight loss. Using a health database, researchers compared side effects from Novo’s drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Saxenda with those of a weight-loss medication called Contrave. Prime Therapeutics, a pharmacy benefits manager, conducted the study, reviewing pharmacy and medical claims data for 4,255 people with commercial health plans prescribed GLP-1 agonists for obesity, prediabetes, or a body mass index of 30 or higher.