The FDA has issued public warnings about unapproved GLP-1 products - see the agency statement here. Independent replication of promising supplement trials remains limited. Others prefer oral medicines or supplements because they fit daily routines better. Trials report averages but real people tell varied stories. Reassess regularly and be ready to change approach if side effects or limited benefit appear. The device is a pill with a special compound called Gelesis 100 that absorbs water. And many of these women would like to lose some weight. That adds up to 6 in 10 women who are overweight or obese. WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING Evidence that weight loss medicines directly improve fertility is lacking. Yes, there are medicines that shouldn't be used for weight loss. However, keeping a healthy lifestyle may help to prevent or reduce weight regain. When you stop taking them, most people will regain some or all of the weight lost over time. When it comes to weight loss products, not all options are created equal. Remember, long-term success comes from a combination of medication, healthy eating, physical activity, and lifestyle changes. These side effects often get better as your body adjusts. The doctor will check your health, talk about your weight goals, and decide if this medicine is right for you. The new Wegovy pill provides Americans an alternative, and more convenient, option than injectable treatments, which have dominated the weight-loss market since they were introduced. For patients who stayed on the treatment, reduced their calorie intake and exercised, Novo Nordisk estimates they would have a 16.6% reduction in their weight. It's also approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who are obese or overweight. The Food and Drug Administration approved the pill for obesity on Dec. 22. A pill form of Wegovy, the popular obesity drug previously available only by injection, is now being stocked by pharmacies. The Wegovy pill is one of two oral GLP-1 drugs expected to hit the market in the next few months; the other, from Lilly, is called orforglipron – until it receives a brand name – and is expected to be cleared by the FDA by summer. The drug, which Novo Nordisk calls simply the Wegovy pill, uses the same active ingredient – semaglutide – that powers the original Wegovy, along with its sister drug for diabetes, Ozempic. GLP-1 drugs have transformed the weight-loss industry and revolutionized the treatment of metabolic disease. Other weight loss drugs currently on the market mimic just one or two hunger-regulating hormones. Food and Drug Administration for approval, possibly for patients with Type 2 diabetes or patients with obesity and other health concerns. It was repeatedly demonstrated throughout the PIONEER clinical trials (table 3) that the decrease in both HA1c and body weight was significantly greater with oral semaglutide when compared with a placebo.31–35 The superiority of oral semaglutide was also observed when compared with other oral antidiabetic medications, such as sitagliptin30 36 and empagliflozin.26 This superiority was also found in studies comparing oral semaglutide with other agents from the same drug class (dulaglutide37 and liraglutide33 34). Wegovy and Zepbound are FDA-approved for weight loss while Ozempic is FDA-approved for treating Type 2 diabetes but has been used off-label for treating weight loss; on average, people can lose 10 percent to 20 percent of their body weight from these medications. Last week, drugmaker Eli Lilly announced results from a late-stage diabetes trial showing that its daily GLP-1 pill orforglipron significantly reduced A1C (a measure of blood sugar) and body weight compared with placebo (a sham pill). Studies show these science-backed prescription weight loss medications can help people lose up to 10% of their body weight when combined with healthy habits. Lilly said it is releasing a savings card for people with commercial insurance to get Zepbound for $25 for a one- or three-month prescription if their plans cover it. According to the FDA, Zepbound’s main side effects include gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea. In the news release, Lilly recommends that the drug be used in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. The medication will be available in six doses, ranging from 2.5 milligrams to 15 milligrams, through a prescription that can be filled at retail and mail-order pharmacies, Lilly said in a news release. Both liraglutide and semaglutide are approved for use in adults and adolescents ages 12 and older.Supplements sit in a different regulatory category than FDA approved weight loss drugs.The UK government's recent focus on preventative healthcare and the NHS's expanded access to weight loss interventions suggest growing recognition that obesity requires proper medical treatment, not moral judgment.There are two main groups of type 2 diabetes medicines that lower blood sugar and also may lead to weight loss.Zepbound is the latest entrant into the field of powerful new drugs that already includes Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Lilly’s Mounjaro.The drugmaker is restricting supply of those low-dose injections so it can focus on serving current patients as it works to boost production capacity.OASIS is a phase 3 clinical development program with once-daily oral semaglutide 25 mg and 50 mg in adults with obesity."There's an entire demographic that can benefit from the pills," said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, a Massachusetts General Hospital obesity expert. Many insurance companies and employers that provide healthcare coverage don’t consider weight-loss medications medically necessary. A healthcare professional must evaluate you and decide whether the medication is appropriate based on factors such as your body mass index (BMI), medical history, and weight-related health conditions. Medicare plans are prohibited by law from covering prescription medications taken solely for weight loss. Coverage for obesity care and weight-loss medications varies widely among insurance plans. Please contact your local VA/military treatment facility or TRICARE network provider to determine if your benefits include weight-loss medications. Jaisinghani said these results indicate that the pill and the injection "offered comparable efficacy for weight management." Dr. Priya Jaisinghani, an endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist at NYU Langone Health, discussed the effectiveness of the two formulations during an Endocrine Society webinar about GLP-1 pills in December 2025. That's because the "key effects still require absorption and systemic signaling," so they only kick in once the drug reaches the bloodstream, she said. When taken as a pill, however, the drug must first pass through the stomach and intestines, where some of its active ingredient is broken down by digestive enzymes before it can be absorbed through the gut lining and into the blood. The main difference between the Wegovy pill and the injection is how the drug enters the bloodstream. “These results are an important step forward in potentially expanding effective therapeutic options for individuals with obesity,” says Ania Jastreboff, MD, PhD, a Yale Medicine adult and pediatric endocrinologist and director of the Yale Obesity Research Center (Y-Weight). We encourage you to talk to your health care providers (doctor, registered dietitian, pharmacist, etc.) about your interest in, questions about, or use of dietary supplements and what may be best for your overall health. For more information about building a healthy dietary pattern, refer to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the U.S. FDA maintains a webpage listing public notifications about tainted weight-loss products. Zepbound is another weight loss medication approved by the FDA in 2023. However, Wegovy was made for weight loss while Ozempic is meant for people with type 2 diabetes. The medication arrives during a period of tremendous growth in the weight loss drug marketplace. The trial of the drug, orforglipron, measured its efficacy and safety in adults with Type 2 diabetes compared to a placebo. “This would be the most highly efficacious drug ever approved for the treatment of obesity,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine expert at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. simple exercises to start resistance training at home or in the gym to build strength For example, you shouldn't take prescription weight-loss drugs if you're trying to get pregnant, are pregnant or are breastfeeding. Then your provider talks with you about the pros and cons of prescription weight-loss drugs. Your health care provider may suggest a weight-loss drug for you in some cases. Prescription drugs are medicines that a health care provider prescribes for you. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved and now carry greater risk as shortages end. Because of the risk of addiction or abuse, such stimulant drugs are "controlled substances," which means they need a special type of prescription. Orlistat is the only drug of its kind that's approved in the U.S. Also, take a multivitamin at least 2 hours before or after taking orlistat because the drug temporarily makes it harder for your body to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. Rare cases of severe liver injury have been reported in people taking orlistat, but it's not certain that the drug caused those problems. It also can't be mixed with pain relievers or other drugs that contain opioids. Another concern is that not all insurance carriers may cover the new drug. You basically place the pen against the skin on your abdomen or your thigh and press a button until the medication is released. The medication comes prefilled in a pen—a device that looks like a fat magic marker or a cigar. Some patients might be concerned about having to inject themselves once a week. Nausea and, in some cases, vomiting can be a real problem for those taking this drug; for some, diarrhea or constipation can be an issue. Detailed trial results Serious side effects may happen, including pancreatitis. Eventually, I was carrying around less weight and I was keeping it off. Wegovy® should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products, other GLP-1 medicines, or in children under 12 years of age. If someone is on the borderline of qualifying for bariatric surgery, I think it would be worth trying this medication. Some people who need knee and hip replacements but can't get them because they're too heavy may now qualify, and those who wanted to start an exercise program may now be able to do so. We hope that the drug will supply this signal so that they can eat smaller portions. Drivers face nationwide traffic chaos: air ambulances and specialist teams scrambled It's important to tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions. Use our healthcare provider finder for help. In the meantime, are you looking for a weight-loss specialist to talk about CONTRAVE? Many people struggle to control their eating. What have you already tried to reach your weight- management goals? On average, study participants lost an average of 22.9 pounds (10.5% of their weight) on the highest dose of the medication (36 milligrams) after they used orforglipron once a day for 72 weeks. In speeches and on social media, he’s said the U.S. should not cover the drugs through Medicaid or Medicare. Kennedy, who as Trump’s nominee for HHS secretary is subject to Senate confirmation, has railed against the drugs’ popularity. However, having healthy lifestyle may help to prevent or reduce weight regain. When you stop taking weight-loss medicines, most people will gradually regain some or all of the weight lost. It's important to discuss the benefit versus the risks with your healthcare provider and to review the goals of the treatment. Weight loss medicines differ in how much weight loss they can help you with. Your BMI is an estimate of your body size and is calculated using your height and weight. No, retatrutide hasn't been compared to medications like Mounjaro or Ozempic in clinical trials using the same variables. As with any prescription medication, individuals should speak with a health care provider about whether any of these medications may help them. A weight loss drug dubbed the "triple G" drug for its effectiveness in mimicking three hunger-regulating hormones showed promising results in new data released Thursday by its maker, Eli Lilly. Mertens turned to injectable Zepbound when he regained weight after the end of the Wegovy pill clinical trial. Percent weight reduction at 64 weeks1 AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. “There’s no miracle drug. For example, you have to take the Wegovy pill first thing on an empty stomach and wait 30 minutes before eating or drinking. Several others are approved only for short-term use over a few months. Medications can help with obesity, but they're not a magic bullet. Still, we know it's important to lose those extra pounds, both for our physical and mental health. Healthy eating and exercise are the most recommended ways to lose weight. The FDA's approval also clears the pill for use to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as death, heart attack or stroke, in adults with obesity and established cardiovascular disease, according to Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk did not say how much higher doses of the drug would cost, but said additional information on coverage and savings options for eligible patients will be available at that time as well. That's the same price that cash-paying patients can access the starting dose of the pill on President Donald Trump's direct-to-consumer website, TrumpRx, under a deal Novo Nordisk struck with his administration last month. Glucose, or blood sugar, is the body’s main source of energy. Here’s how that could affect patients The pill also lowered A1C – a measurement of the average amount of glucose in the blood over the previous three months – by an average of 1.8%, Lilly said. They have to be refrigerated and are more difficult and more expensive to make – and many people just don’t like needles. House passes funding bill that includes PBM reform In clinical trials, people using semaglutide for weight loss lost about 15% of their starting body weight at 68 weeks (almost 16 months). With other weight loss drugs, perhaps a third of patients might expect to lose 10% of their body weight. In the trial, 50% of people treated with semaglutide lost at least 15% of their body weight, compared with 5% of those in the placebo group. Perhaps 50% of people who take other types of weight loss medications will lose 5% of their body weight. Tirzepatide has been shown in studies to cause thyroid tumors in animals, but it's not yet known if it can cause thyroid cancer in people. Less common but more serious possible side effects include an allergic reaction, pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, vision changes, kidney damage, and suicidal thoughts. These usually go away after you get to the dose you've been prescribed and your body adjusts, but sometimes they can be serious. Benefits related to your heart health are still being studied. Fortunately, new weight-loss pills are emerging as alternative options to injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. There’s always a media buzz when a new weight-loss drug hits the market. The FDA added that patients should be examined to determine if Saxenda is working after 16 weeks of treatment. Saxenda is part of a class of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. The company advises patients with congestive heart failure or pregnant patients to not take the drug. These are additional reasons why it’s crucial to speak with your physician to discuss the benefits and potential risks of starting these drugs. And these medications are not recommended for use during pregnancy due to lack of data. The dosages of these medications may need to be adjusted. You've probably heard the term "Ozempic face" to describe the changed appearance of people who've lost significant amounts of weight. You might need to take semaglutide for life to manage your weight. As Wegovy, it received FDA approval specifically for the treatment of obesity in 2021. No serious adverse effects of Phaseolus vulgaris have been reported in clinical trials, but no trials have lasted longer than 13 weeks.World Health Organization issues first-ever guidelines for use of GLP-1 weight loss medicationsThey tend to cause weight loss as a side effect.Qsymia is a pill you take once a day in the morning.Learn about weight loss medications, like Wegovy, and whether they're right for youComparatively, 47% of patients without type 2 diabetes taking the drug and 23% of those taking a placebo each lost at least 5% of their total body weight.Additional information on coverage and savings options for eligible patients, including other programs designed to help reduce out-of-pocket costs, will come out in early January 2026, Novo Nordisk said.Instead, he supports a broad expansion of coverage for healthier foods and gym memberships. "If approved, the company is confident in its ability to launch orforglipron worldwide without supply constraints," the news release said. The most commonly reported adverse effects were mild to moderate gastrointestinal issues, including diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, constipation and vomiting. "Given that participants had not yet reached a weight plateau at the time the study ended, it appears that full weight reduction was not yet attained," the company said in a news release. Bringing Zepbound single-dose vials to patients will help more people living with obesity manage this chronic condition. “Outdated policies and lack of coverage for obesity medications create an urgent need for more innovative solutions. “Despite obesity being recognized as a serious chronic illness with long-term consequences, it’s often misclassified as a lifestyle choice, resulting in many employers and the federal government excluding medications like Zepbound from insurance coverage,” Jonsson said. The new vials will be available exclusively to people who pay out of pocket through LillyDirect, a company platform that helps coordinate telehealth services and fill prescriptions for patients. “These new vials not only help us meet the high demand for our obesity medicine, but also broaden access for patients seeking a safe and effective treatment option,” Patrik Jonsson, president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA, said in a statement. The drug is not approved for pregnant women and can cause side effects such as drowsiness, headache and constipation. Among patients who used diet and exercise alone, 23 percent reached that level of weight loss. A 2004 review of research published in the journal Obesity Reviews found that orlistat is effective in reducing weight in obese patients, but caused more gastrointestinal distress than a placebo. Orlistat – Now available over-the-counter or as a prescription, orlistat was one of the first drugs in the weight-loss arsenal. According to an analysis, 47% of calls to the California Poison Control System in 2006 reporting adverse effects or toxicities potentially caused by dietary supplements involved products containing caffeine Combining caffeine with other stimulants, such as bitter orange and ephedrine, can potentiate these adverse effects. For healthy adults, FDA and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) state that up to 400 mg/day caffeine does not pose safety concerns 51,52, whereas the American Medical Association recommends a limit of 500 mg/day . On average, participants gained some weight during the study, but men who increased their caffeine intake during the 12 years of follow-up gained a mean of 0.43 kg less than those who decreased their caffeine consumption. The Wegovy pills are expected to be available within weeks, company officials said. Many people who take these medicines also see their blood pressure improve. They also may not be a good choice for people with certain types of kidney disease. I love it when people see me today and they're like, “whoa, what happened to Terry? If you get a lump or swelling in your neck or an allergic reaction, serious side effects may happen, including pancreatitis. You know, when I started to take Wegovy®, I started a weight log and uh, over time, man, you could really see those results. My doctor told me I may experience common side effects like nausea, and we've discussed what to do if I experience any of those side effects. We went over the potential benefits and the risks of treatment. It is vital that those involved in clinical development and regulatory affairs, as well as commercialization, keep track of these new drugs, from weight-loss agonists to gene therapies. FDA approves first treatment to reduce risk of serious heart problems specifically in adults with obesity or overweight. Medicare coverage of anti-obesity medications. Unlike other types, the newly approved weight loss drugs don’t have as many side effects. For instance, in a study of 2.4 mg of semaglutide, adults with obesity who took the drug lost an average of 35 pounds, or 15% of their body weight, within 15 months. In addition to being effective diabetes medications, GLP-1 drugs are useful for obesity. Emory Healthcare has helped many patients effectively lose weight and transform their lives. However, compounded medications are not regulated. This is frustrating for patients and doctors and can disrupt treatment and progress. Due to the great demand for these drugs, shortages have occurred. Medicines and side effectsHealthify He Puna Waiora, NZ, 2024 Weight loss in men who are overweight or obese can improve their total sperm count and quality. Also, healthy eating and physical activity offer important additional benefits, supporting your overall health and well-being. Thanks to rising demand for these drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy have been on the FDA’s drug shortage list since March 2022. “The research says that when you stop the medication, you gain the weight back, so I’m likely to be on medication for the rest of my life,” she says. But there is more work to be done before more doctors, patients, and insurance providers perceive obesity as a disease. “If you lose weight by restricting calories, your body thinks it's starving,” Dr. Jastreboff says, adding that this spurs a person to keep eating to maintain the elevated set point. The FDA approval of Wegovy® pill is based on the results from the OASIS 4 phase 3 clinical trial, which was a 64-week medical study that included 307 adults with obesity or overweight with one or more weight-related comorbidities, without diabetes. For Wegovy® pill based on baseline body weight of 235 lb., and for placebo based on baseline body weight of 231 lb.1 (Novo Nordisk has not yet published the list price of the Wegovy pill.) Many insurance plans, including Medicare, do not cover medications strictly for weight loss. But for both forms of the drug, a minority of patients — around 7% to 10% — stop taking the medication because of these effects, according to trial data. In the OASIS 4 trial, a study of the 25-mg pill, participants lost an average of about 13.9% of their body weight. It is unclear, however, if the drug causes thyroid tumors, including a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans. Other more serious side effects can include pancreatitis (infection of the pancreas), gallbladder disease, lowered kidney function, suicidal thoughts and increased heart rate, the agency noted. Meanwhile, only 34 percent of those given an inactive placebo had the same result. It works by stimulating insulin production and triggering the release of glucagon (a hormone produced by the body) from the pancreas. Patients taking the drug, made by Novo Nordisk, should still follow a low-calorie diet and exercise regularly, the FDA noted. In other cases, Wegovy may also be prescribed for certain patients to reduce the risk of heart disease. According to the CDC, obesity is a chronic condition impacting 1 in 5 children and 2 in 5 adults in the U.S. But the agency earlier this year determined that the shortage of semaglutide is over, barring the practice in many cases. Patients flocked to the cheaper copycats when Ozempic and Wegovy were in short supply over the last two years due to skyrocketing demand, or if they didn't have insurance coverage for the costly treatments. People who take Novo Nordisk's pill have to wait 30 minutes before eating or drinking each day. That doesn’t surprise her because there are different kinds—or subtypes—of obesity, she says. “In the trial, I found it a real struggle to eat more than three.” She used to consume 3,000 calories a day “easily,” but in the trial, she was unable to take in more than 1,500. The FDA's approval of oral Wegovy marks the first time a GLP-1 receptor agonist for weight loss has been made available in tablet form at therapeutic doses for obesity management.Zepbound is another weight loss medication approved by the FDA in 2023.Many people consider Wegovy to be the strongest weight-loss pill.(Again, the oral dose is significantly higher than the injectable, because a lot of it is degraded in the GI tract.)Results have shown that 2.4 mg semaglutide, when used in combination with lifestyle modifications, shows clinically significant weight loss in patients with obesity compared with placebo.11–15It’s less common than other weight-loss pills, though.Injectable drugs approved by the FDA have undergone rigorous testing to ensure they meet safety standards.FuturHealth, a leading provider of personalized weight-loss solutions, today announced it is giving its members seamless access to FDA-approved GLP-1 ... There's more semaglutide in the new pill. "So new innovations, new treatments to treat this chronic disease — all are welcome. All are exciting." The coalition receives financial support from multiple drugmakers, including Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Pfizer. And now the Food and Drug Administration has approved an oral version of Wegovy made by Novo Nordisk, the company said Monday. Drugmakers have developed pill versions of GLP-1 medicines to treat obesity. According to Novo Nordisk, the oral Wegovy pill is slated to be in pharmacies by early January 2026, with manufacturing already underway in North Carolina. "We're prepared for a big bold launch here toward the end of the year and we'll work hard to continue to expand our supply capacity to meet the needs of people with obesity," Ricks told reporters. Eli Lilly also said it is launching a commercial savings card program to expand access to Zepbound, which could allow people with insurance coverage for the drug to pay as low as $25 for a one-month or three-month prescription. The list price of tirzepatide for weight loss is $1,059.87 per month for six different dose sizes, which is about 20% lower than that of Wegovy, Eli Lilly said in a press release. "In light of increasing rates of both obesity and overweight in the United States, today's approval addresses an unmet medical need." About 8% of patients who took the highest dose of the pill discontinued treatment due to side effects. Further studies need to be conducted, preferably clinical trials, to yield statistically significant results regarding efficacy as well as adverse events and safety of anti-obesity medications. The possible superiority of semaglutide with a similar risk of adverse events makes it an excellent choice of drug for the management of obesity in the patient population willing to take subcutaneous medication . For those who can tolerate semaglutide, it can be added to behavioral therapy and diet modification for achieving and maintaining significant weight loss in the obese/overweight population. Another trial reported a similar proportion of participants discontinuing treatment due to adverse events (2.4% with semaglutide vs 2.3% with placebo) . "The addition of the Wegovy® pill is a breakthrough for our program—it's the most affordable FDA-approved GLP-1 option available, and by pairing our proven results with the accessibility and convenience of an oral medication, we're giving members more flexible pathways to long-term wellness." Work with your health care provider to evaluate the potential benefits and risks of Alli or any other weight-loss drugs. If you haven't lost 5% of your body weight within a year on the plan, stopping the drug would be a reasonable choice. If you have followed the diet and exercise plan and have not lost at least 5% of your initial body weight within a few months, continuing the drug may be of little benefit. Yohimbine has hyperadrenergic physiological effects because it acts as an alpha-2 receptor antagonist 6,219. Reported adverse effects for Phaseolus vulgaris are minor and include headaches, soft stools, flatulence, and constipation . However, the authors noted that the quality of the trials included in their review was poor, making it impossible to draw firm conclusions. Phaseolus vulgaris extract is an ingredient in some weight-loss dietary supplements marketed as carbohydrate- or starch-absorption blockers. The medications made by manufacturers are inspected for quality, safety and effectiveness, while the compounded versions are not. However, the agency has issued warnings about the safety of compounded medications. The FDA allows this process when drugs are in shortage, as is the case now. This is where some pharmacies can reformulate medications and sell them. Novo Nordisk files for US FDA regulatory approval of once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg for weight management. While it can work well for many people, semaglutide isn’t right for everyone. Talk to your healthcare team about long-term safety and whether this type of treatment is right for you. More recently, a randomized study in 44 adults with type 2 diabetes who followed their usual diet found that 10 g/day guar gum significantly reduced waist circumference after 4 and 6 weeks compared to baseline, but it did not affect weight loss . Trial participants included people with hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia, or type 1 or type 2 diabetes; menopausal women; and healthy volunteers. Their results suggest that green tea catechins alone do not affect body weight or other anthropometric measurements. The authors reported that green tea catechins combined with caffeine over a median of 12 weeks modestly yet significantly reduced body weight by a mean of 1.38 kg and waist circumference by a mean of 1.93 cm compared with caffeine alone . During the national shortages of semaglutide and tirzepatide, the FDA allowed some compounding to meet patient needs. Its safety, effectiveness, and dosage are proven through rigorous clinical trials. The goal is to lower the cost enough to make coverage feasible, while also requiring access to healthy lifestyle interventions. Beginning in 2026, CMS will negotiate drug prices directly with manufacturers on behalf of state Medicaid agencies and Medicare Part D plans. For a single drug category, this impact is unprecedented. These typically occur when starting treatment or increasing doses and usually diminish as your body adjusts.However, the extent to which bitter orange and synephrine cause similar cardiovascular and central nervous system effects to epinephrine and norepinephrine (e.g., increased heart rate and blood pressure) is not clear 25-27.Lilly plans to publish the results of its late-stage trial in a peer-reviewed journal.You know, when I started to take Wegovy®, I started a weight log and uh, over time, man, you could really see those results.A consistent walking program is an effective way to drop pounds and lose body fatZepbound is the latest diabetes drug approved for chronic weight management, joining Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, a high-dose version of its diabetes treatment Ozempic. At the highest dose of 15 milligrams, people taking Zepbound lost an average of 48 pounds. With demand outstripping production, Novo Nordisk has tried to limit the number of new people who can start taking Wegovy. Until they learn more, doctors gather information about such factors as a patient’s eating behavior and other components, and may need to try more than one medication to find the one that works best for a particular patient. Researchers need to learn more about the different subtypes of obesity before anyone can know what the best strategy is for a given patient, she adds. “We don't yet have biomarkers where we can subtype obesity, similar to what’s done for cancer or other diseases,” Dr. Jastreboff says. It may also depend on the dose of the medicine that works best for you without getting side effects.No, retatrutide hasn't been compared to medications like Mounjaro or Ozempic in clinical trials using the same variables.Dr. Butsch recommends going to a healthcare provider specializing in obesity.Weight loss drugs work in different ways to help you lose weight.Since then, thousands of patients have obtained the drug from doctors and telehealth providers who prescribed it "off-label" to help them slim down.It is unclear, however, if the drug causes thyroid tumors, including a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans. Use of the drug as a once-weekly injection designed to lower blood sugar often leads to some weight loss — especially among patients who take the 1 mg-per-week dose instead of the lower .5-mg option. Makers of Ozempic, Mounjaro race to ramp up supply amid skyrocketing demand for drugs for weight loss The FDA cleared it for people with obesity or those characterized as overweight with at least one weight-related health condition, such as high blood pressure or heart disease, the same indication as for Wegovy. Zepbound was shown in clinical trials to yield more than 20% average weight loss on higher doses over 72 weeks, stronger results than seen with other approved medicines. The drug, called Mounjaro for diabetes, will be called Zepbound for weight loss, according to a news release from the FDA. It’s also a good idea to avoid or limit alcohol while taking semaglutide. Your healthcare team can determine which interactions potentially affect you and how to manage them. As mentioned above, this effect may only be a concern within the first several months of treatment. While Mounjaro had already been used by some patients "off-label" for weight loss, the new FDA approval will allow the drugmaker to begin officially selling and marketing tirzepatide — branded as Zepbound — for weight loss too. Compared with injectable therapies that dominate average weight loss headlines, Motus delivers a different, pill-based form factor while offering meaningful trial results. Some insurers cover certain medications for people with obesity plus comorbid conditions; others require documentation or prior authorization. Burst CME™: The Role of HER2 in NSCLC and Implications for Emerging Treatment Strategies Participants lost weight steadily for 16 months before plateauing. Keep in mind that the key to losing weight is a whole lifestyle approach that involves eating well and moving more. Learn all you can about any weight-loss supplement you think about trying. Some weight-loss supplements have been found to have ingredients that aren't listed on the label, such as prescription medicines. Results from such a trial would show more about the product safety and how well it worked. An injectable GLP-1 may be the preferred option for patients whose priority is a greater level of weight loss or those who have significant cardiometabolic complications, or health issues that arise from cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders. Ahead of the data, BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman said he expected less than 10% of patients on the highest dose of the pill to discontinue treatment due to side effects and lower rates of vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. The more convenient and easier-to-manufacture pill could also help Eli Lilly solidify its dominance in the growing segment as other drugmakers, including its main rival Novo Nordisk, race to bring weight loss pills to market. "The goal was to create an oral pill that was convenient and can be made at a huge scale, really, for the mass market, and had weight loss that was competitive with other single-acting GLP-1s, and that's what we've achieved," Ricks said. Each entry includes the drug name, the developer, the indication, any clinical results or status, regulatory designations, and a PDUFA/targeted action date. Here are ten candidates with high impact that should be FDA approved by Q4 of 2025. Nearly half of 50 new biologic and molecular therapies approved by 2024 will be first-in-class agents. FDA approves treatment for serious liver disease known as ‘MASH’. And many of those women have medical problems, such as diabetes, or pre-diabetes, or high blood pressure that would be improved or resolved with weight loss.In the tirzepatide study, 36% of people taking the highest dose lost 25% or more of their body weight.Like with other weight loss drugs in this class, some of Zepbound's side effects could be serious.These effects can support weight-loss efforts.But people who take them still have better weight loss results than those who do not take the medicine.This guide walks through the main groups of FDA approved weight loss drugs, how they work, likely benefits, safety considerations, and practical tips about access and cost.Mounjaro is still listed on the FDA’s drug shortages list, although all doses are currently labeled as available.BMI, a ratio of your height versus weight, was also decreased by 2.1 kg/m2 in the GLOW study Plenity group versus 1.5 kg/m2 in the placebo group. “We believe this is the most affordable self-pay price to date for a GLP-1 for weight loss,” the spokesperson said. Unlike the injectables, which enter the bloodstream directly, the pills are broken down in the stomach, which means “the oral doses have to be much, much higher” than the Wegovy injections, which cap at 2.4 mg, McCoy explains. The pill will be available in U.S. pharmacies and select telehealth providers in early January, a Novo Nordisk spokesperson told Scientific American. Since then, thousands of patients have obtained the drug from doctors and telehealth providers who prescribed it "off-label" to help them slim down. A head-to-head trial comparing the two drugs is planned. A company spokeswoman would not confirm whether the drug would be marketed for weight loss in the U.S. under a different brand name. Having diabetes makes it notoriously difficult to lose weight, said Dr. Nadia Ahmad, Lilly's medical director of obesity clinical development, which means the recent results are especially significant. “It would enforce Medicare coverage for overweight and obesity medication, which is likely to drive better coverage across the commercial market,” she notes. Common side effects may include nausea, feeling overfull, constipation and diarrhoea. Weight loss medicines, like all medicines, have a wide range of side effects. It's also important for other areas of your health to be monitored including your waist measurement, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, nutrient levels and overall health. It may also depend on the dose of the medicine that works best for you without getting side effects. “Presently, I’ve had limited individuals take this weight loss pill; however, I’ve encouraged fiber supplements similar to Plenity’s appetite-reducing action. Fiber in general has also been studied to help with weight loss,” says Christa Brown, RDN, a licensed dietitian and diabetes expert in Woodbridge, New Jersey. Plenity is one of the best weight loss pills currently out there due to its strong safety profile and effectiveness seen in the research. We consulted with registered dietitians with weight loss expertise to review the best weight loss pill on the market. Novo Nordisk already has a semaglutide oral on the market called Rybelsus, but it’s only indicated for adults with Type 2 diabetes. The results suggest that Wegovy and similar drugs like Mounjaro could have long-lasting heart health benefits. Still, access to tirzepatide and other diabetes and obesity treatments remains a big challenge. The increased use of drugs has raised questions about how the changes will affect an array of industries — though it may be too early to tell how many people will use them. But the FDA's new approval means adults who have obesity or are overweight with at least one weight-related condition can use the drug, which will be marketed as Zepbound, for chronic weight management. It initially showed promising results in clinical trials. Danuglipron was a once-daily, oral GLP-1 receptor agonist being developed by Pfizer. Danuglipron was a similar oral tablet meant to work like orforglipron, but its manufacturer has stopped developing it. Between January 2004 and December 2012, 237 dietary supplements were subject to a Class I recall by FDA, indicating a reasonable probability that use of or exposure to these products would cause serious adverse health consequences. Weight-loss products marketed as dietary supplements are sometimes adulterated or tainted with prescription-drug ingredients; controlled substances; or untested/unstudied, pharmaceutically active ingredients that could be harmful . FDA and the FTC warn consumers to beware of fraudulent claims about weight-loss dietary supplements 235,236. Furthermore, many weight-loss supplements contain multiple ingredients that have not been adequately tested in combination with one another. But practicing healthy lifestyle habits may help limit weight gain. Weight-loss drugs can be expensive and aren't always paid for by insurance. That's why it's important to ask your health care provider about all treatment choices. Liraglutide has been shown in studies to cause thyroid tumors in animals, but it's not yet known if it can cause thyroid cancer in people. If you don't lose 4% of your weight after 16 weeks of taking liraglutide, your doctor may tell you to stop taking it because it's unlikely to work for you. Liraglutide has been shown in studies to cause thyroid tumors in animals, but it is not yet known if it can cause thyroid cancer in people. Serious potential side effects can include an allergic reaction, raised heart rate, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, kidney problems, and suicidal thoughts. Insurance generally covers Ozempic for diabetes control. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have both faced claims that their drugs can cause stomach paralysis. "In light of increasing rates of both obesity and overweight in the United States, today's approval addresses an unmet medical need," the FDA's Dr. John Sharretts, director of the agency's Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders, and Obesity, said in a news release. Zepbound will be available for patients in the U.S. by the end of the year, the drugmaker said. Some oral supplements have human clinical trials and promising results. Oral prescription pills are effective for many people but often produce smaller average losses. About 1 in 8 Americans have used injectable GLP-1 drugs, according to a survey from KFF, a nonprofit health policy research group. In recent years, Novo Nordisk's injectable Wegovy and Lilly's Zepbound have revolutionized obesity treatment globally and in the U.S., where 100 million people have the chronic disease. Both pills are GLP-1 drugs that work like widely used injectables to mimic a natural hormone that controls appetite and feelings of fullness. She told CBS News she asked her doctor about taking Mounjaro, and said she saw consistent result while taking the medication. Last August, Rachel Graham's doctor told her she was prediabetic and about 65 pounds overweight. "We have not seen this degree of weight reduction," she said. Kirby and other obesity experts are hoping to change that by supporting the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act. Still, anyone with a history of this rare thyroid cancer should avoid the drug. In a recent study, most patients reported preferring taking oral tablets to subcutaneous injections, supported by the ease of administration and the lack of pain.40 From these results, most patients would possibly prefer to take an oral tablet of semaglutide than a once-weekly subcutaneous injection. The only apparent difference between oral semaglutide and subcutaneous semaglutide, besides slight differences in their efficacy in weight reduction, is the route of administration. Both oral semaglutide and subcutaneous semaglutide showed similar adverse effects (tables 2 and 4), and the most commonly reported were gastrointestinal (primarily mild to moderate nausea and vomiting). The drug works to suppress food cravings by mimicking the effects of serotonin in the brain.Nearly 74% of U.S. adults are considered overweight or obese, while about 12% have diabetes.It may cause side effects like gas and diarrhea.Since early 2025, the drugmakers have made these medicines available at a discount to patients not using their health insurance, and the prices have come down a bit over time.But the drugs are expensive, and many people who lose weight regain it after stopping the medicines.Currently, due to lifestyle changes brought on by technological advancements and the wide availability and affordability of high-calorie foods, millions of people around the world suffer from obesity and/or its sequelae.Today, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug for weight management called Zepbound, made by American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.Prescription weight loss drugs can help with weight management, but they also have risks and side effects. Combinations with opioid-antagonist and antidepressant components may increase seizure risk in people with certain risk factors and are unsuitable for patients taking opioids. Because it is an oral option, Motus offers a different user experience than injectable therapies and may be attractive for those who prefer pills to injections. Oral prescription pills tend to deliver smaller mean changes but can be right for people who prefer pills or who cannot take injectables. And now the bad news: the current cost of the drug Weight-loss drugs aren't an easy answer to weight loss.Novo Nordisk continues to pursue innovative delivery models and strategic collaborations to meet people where they are, reaching more patients in more ways.A pill version of semaglutide approved for diabetes, called Rybelsus, hasn’t been used as widely as Ozempic in part for that reason, doctors say.The FDA allows this process when drugs are in shortage, as is the case now.However, results from clinical trials that tested the drugs separately suggest the two versions lead to very similar weight loss when taken as instructed. Your healthcare provider can help you understand the pros and cons of this treatment and if it’s right for you. Sadhu, who has no connection to Novo Nordisk, plans to switch patients who are obese and have Type 2 diabetes to Wegovy. The drug carries a potential risk for a type of thyroid tumor, so it shouldn’t be taken by people with a personal or family history of certain thyroid and endocrine tumors. This image provided by Novo Nordisk on Friday, June 4, 2021 shows an injection pen for the company’s semaglutide medication, named Wegovy. This image provided by Novo Nordisk on Friday, June 4, 2021 shows a package of injection pens for the company’s semaglutide medication, named Wegovy. Understanding upcoming FDA decisions and fast-track designations allows experts to anticipate healthcare shifts. The chart above (by Grand View Research) illustrates regional growth projections – North America leads usage, with Asia-Pacific markets surging as obesity rises. The treatment paradigms in oncology will be reshaped across rare diseases, immunology, endocrinology and endocrinology. Clinical development professionals and those in regulatory affairs need to be aware of the dates on their PDUFAs and the results of their trials. These candidates have all shown impressive trial results, and FDA expedited reviews for each of them. That drug mimics a key gut hormone, known as GLP-1, that is activated after people eat, boosting the release of insulin and slowing release of sugar from the liver. Mounjaro was first approved to treat diabetes last year. Together, those drugs made nearly $10 billion in 2022, with prescriptions continuing to soar, company reports show. Industry analysts predict that tirzepatide could become one of the top-selling drugs ever, with annual sales topping $50 billion. The 75 mg caffeine plus G-hesperidin significantly reduced BMI by a mean of 0.56 versus 0.02 for placebo. A product containing caffeine plus glucosyl hesperidin (G-hesperidin, a flavonone glycoside found mainly in citrus fruits) reduced abdominal fat and BMI in a clinical trial in Japan . Habitual use of caffeine however, leads to caffeine tolerance and a diminishment of these effects 41,43. Some weight-loss supplement labels do not declare the amount of caffeine in the product and only list the herbal ingredients. The Food and Drug Administration approved Wegovy, a higher-dose version of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug semaglutide, for long-term weight management. It remains to be seen what effect new drug treatments will have on pervasive bias against people with obesity, said Rebecca Puhl, a professor in the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, who studies weight stigma. As a growing number of overweight Americans clamor for Ozempic and Wegovy — drugs touted by celebrities and on TikTok to pare pounds — an even more powerful obesity medicine is poised to upend treatment. With most GLP-1 drugs, however, weight loss tends to be modest — most people lose only 6 to 9 pounds. Ozempic, for example, is approved to treat Type 2 diabetes. Insurance coverage for GLP-1 medications depends on the condition being treated. Insurance coverage for GLP-1 agonists when used for weight loss varies widely. Prescription-only pills that are FDA approved for weight loss are summarized below. Last month, Lilly announced that orforglipron, an orally available GLP-1 treatment, significantly lowered blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. If approved, Wegovy’s pill form will carry a 25-mg dose of the drug, scheduled for once-daily dosing in adults who are overweight or obese and who have at least one comorbid condition. There are roughly 8 million patients on injectable obesity and diabetes drugs, but likely around 170 million who could benefit from the medicines, said Ken Custer, president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, in an interview. He added that the pill's percentage of weight loss is "in the range" of what most people who are overweight or want to improve their metabolic health want to achieve. Some doctors also made note of the number of patients on the highest dose of the pill who discontinued treatment due to side effects or any other reason in the trial. But when patients using the drug unexpectedly started to lose weight, researchers developed a form of liraglutide specifically approved for weight loss. They found that, on average, each drug helped people lose 5 percent of their body weight after one year (about 10 pounds for a 200-pound person). Different types of medicines may suit different people's needs. They will consider your health status, your age, other health conditions you may have and any other medicines you're taking. Your healthcare provider will discuss the various options with you. Each works in different ways, has different side effects and the cost may differ too. That’s according to a small clinical trial run by Novo Nordisk, so real-life results may vary. Quitting it can lead to regaining most of the lost weight. Semaglutide has been shown in studies to cause a rare kind of thyroid tumor in animals, but it is not known if it can cause thyroid cancer in people.