weight loss medication

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Child Obesity Hits Record High, as Adult Rates Level Off

CDC data show 1 in 5 youths is now considered obese, up from 1 in 20 in the early '70s

(Newser) - American adults may finally be hitting a plateau on obesity. Kids, however, are not. Two new CDC reports based on decades of federal health survey data find, among other things, that 40.3% of US adults ages 20 and older were obese between August 2021 and August 2023, slightly below...

Novo Nordisk to Slash US List Prices for Ozempic, Wegovy

Price reductions of up to 50% starting in 2027 aim to ease patient costs, challenge Eli Lilly

(Newser) - Novo Nordisk is planning a major markdown on two of the hottest drugs in medicine, though not for another year. The Danish drugmaker says it will cut the US list prices of its weight-loss shot Wegovy and diabetes drug Ozempic by up to 50%, bringing both to $675 a month...

GLP-1 Drugs Linked to Vitamin Deficiencies
Some GLP-1 Users
Are Getting Scurvy
in case you missed it
Feb 21, 2026 3:15 PM CST

Some GLP-1 Users Are Getting Scurvy

Expert warns of vitamin deficiencies, too little research on dietary intake

(Newser) - Some patients taking popular weight-loss drugs are ending up with a condition associated with 18th-century sea voyages: scurvy. GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic suppress appetite so effectively that some users are consuming too little nutrient-dense food, researchers say, putting them at risk for vitamin deficiencies, which can affect bone, brain,...

Hims & Hers Drops Plans for Copycat Wegovy Drug

Telehealth company faced legal threats over plans to undercut bigger rival's price

(Newser) - Hims & Hers won't be rolling out a knockoff version of the new Wegovy weight-loss pill after all. The telehealth company dropped its plans Saturday after the FDA threatened to limit access to the active ingredients for copycat GLP-1 drugs, reports the AP . The company also faced legal threats...

GLP-1 Drugs May Help Airlines Shed Some Financial Weight

Analyst report says slimmer passengers could shave $580M off 4 major carriers' fuel bills

(Newser) - Ozempic isn't just slimming waistlines—it may be trimming jet fuel bills, too. A new analysis from financial firm Jefferies estimates that if GLP-1 weight loss drugs continue to catch on, the four biggest US airlines—American, Delta, Southwest, and United—could together shave up to $580 million a...

Don't Rely Too Much on Those 'GLP-1 Friendly' Labels

Nutrition experts say labels aren't regulated by FDA, may be misleading for GLP-1 users

(Newser) - Meals and snacks with "GLP-1 Friendly" labels on the packaging are becoming more common in US supermarkets as a growing number of Americans try obesity drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound, and Mounjaro to lose weight. But the labels aren't regulated by the FDA, unlike the popular medications themselves,...

Stopping GLP-1 Jabs Triggers Rapid Weight Gain
Stopping GLP-1 Jabs
Triggers Rapid Weight Gain
NEW STUDY
Jan 8, 2026 6:32 AM CST

Stopping GLP-1 Jabs Triggers Rapid Weight Gain

Behavioral changes provide longer-lasting results, according to meta-analysis

(Newser) - Stopping popular weight-loss shots brings a risk of rapid weight gain, according to new research. A review of 37 clinical trials and observational studies involving more than 6,000 overweight or obese individuals on GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro and 3,000 others in behavioral weight management programs found...

Survey Reveals Widespread Usage of GLP-1 Drugs

Almost 1 in 5 US adults have tried one, and 1 in 8 are using them now: KFF

(Newser) - About one in eight American adults are now taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro, a new survey shows—a sharp increase from just 18 months ago. These medications, approved in the US only four years ago for obesity, are quickly becoming some of the most widely prescribed,...

Patients With Colon Cancer May See Extra GLP-1 Benefits

Those on weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy see lower death rates than those not taking them

(Newser) - Medications like Wegovy and Ozempic, known for managing diabetes and promoting weight loss, may also be linked to significantly lower death rates in colon cancer patients, according to a new study cited by the Independent . Researchers at UC San Diego reviewed medical records for more than 6,800 colon cancer...

Weight-Loss Drug Startup Goes to Pfizer on $10B Bid

FTC warning helped sway Metsera from Novo Nordisk's offer

(Newser) - Pfizer has agreed to acquire weight-loss drug startup Metsera in a deal valued at more than $10 billion, surpassing rival Novo Nordisk after a competitive bidding process. The agreement, announced Friday, will see Pfizer pay $65.60 per share in cash plus a contingent value right of up to $20....

Trump Admin Nears Price Cut Deal on Weight Loss Drugs

Medicare coverage could expand for Wegovy, Zepbound with monthly cost to fall as low as $149

(Newser) - The Trump administration is reportedly on the verge of announcing a deal with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the prices of their weight loss drugs, Zepbound and Wegovy, to as low as $149 a month—down from current list prices above $1,000. "Instead of $1,...

Health Insurance Is Set for a Steep Hike

Expiring ACA subsidies, pricey new drugs could drive premiums higher

(Newser) - Americans can expect a significant jump in health insurance premiums over the next couple of years, with costs set for the largest increase in at least half a decade. Multiple industry surveys project that businesses will see premiums rise by 9% or more in 2026—costs likely to trickle...

Maker of Ozempic, Wegovy Slashes 9K Jobs

Cost-saving overhaul by Novo Nordisk follows profit warning, fierce competition in obesity drug market

(Newser) - Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical giant known for manufacturing Ozempic and Wegovy, has announced plans to slash about 9,000 jobs—roughly 11% of its global workforce—in an effort to streamline operations and rein in costs. The company says the cuts will take place immediately, and that staffers...

Ozempic Maker Takes Sales Hit as Rivals, Tariffs Loom

Eli Lilly rivalry hits Europe's top drugmaker hard

(Newser) - Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharma heavyweight behind Ozempic, is feeling the squeeze as its once-booming diabetes drug sales slow. The company's GLP-1 injectables, key players in the diabetes and weight loss boom, saw their sales growth plummet to 8% in the first half of this year—down from...

Weight Loss Drugs May Soon Fall Under Medicare/Medicaid

Trump administration pilot program could bring pricey GLP-1 drugs to millions of Americans

(Newser) - The Trump administration is preparing a five-year test that could allow some Medicare and Medicaid patients to access high-profile weight loss drugs, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. The plan, which would let state Medicaid programs and Medicare Part D insurers choose to cover these drugs for obesity treatment,...

Think Weight-Loss Meds Beat Surgery? Maybe Reconsider

Bariatric surgery still outperforms injections for long-term weight loss, researchers find

(Newser) - A new study suggests that popular weight-loss injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro don't deliver the same dramatic results in everyday use as they do in clinical trials. The drugs, which contain semaglutide and tirzepatide, have been hailed for helping some trial participants lose up to 20% of their...

Former FDA Chief Praises 'Revolutionary' GLP-1s

'These drugs offer a chance for people to improve their health even as our national body is ill'

(Newser) - "Revolutionary" anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic appear to be the right tool to deal with the addictive, highly processed foods that are ruining Americans' health, former FDA Commissioner David Kessler writes at the New York Times . He says GLP-1 drugs helped him end the "cycle of despair" of weight...

Modern Family Alum Has Thoughts on Weight Loss Drug

Actor, 53, says Mounjaro helped him manage his diabetes, is now a spokesperson

(Newser) - One of the main cast members from Modern Family is singing the praises of the weight loss drug Mounjaro to manage his Type 2 diabetes, though he says he kept his diagnosis hidden from most of the world for years. Eric Stonestreet, 53, who started receiving Mounjaro injections in May...

It's Basically Ozempic, but in Pill Form

Eli Lilly's orforglipron appears as effective at lowering blood sugar, aiding weight loss in diabetes patients

(Newser) - Scared of needles but intrigued by injectable drugs that help manage blood sugar levels? You'll be happy to know Eli Lilly has created a GLP-1 agonist in pill form, and it may be just as effective at lowering blood sugar and aiding weight loss in people with Type 2...

Pfizer Halts Obesity Pill Tests Amid Safety Concerns

Phase 3 trial for danuglipron has been paused due to potential liver injury

(Newser) - Pfizer's pursuit of a daily pill to tackle obesity has hit a setback. The pharmaceuticals giant has paused development of its oral obesity drug, danuglipron, after a possible liver injury experienced by a trial participant. The incident occurred during phase 3 testing, the final stage before seeking regulatory...

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