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Tag: GLP-1

  • Wegovy injections vs. pills: Doctors explain the differences

    Wegovy injections vs. pills: Doctors explain the differences

    When it comes to GLP-1 pills vs. injections, doctors share which form may be best for you.

    Updated: 3:01 PM PST Jan 15, 2026

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    GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) like Ozempic and Wegovy continue to make headlines as more research points to the benefits of taking these medications. Traditionally, patients administer these via injection, but now, one medication in particular is available to take in pill form. So, which works best: Wegovy injection vs. pill? And is the answer the same for all GLP-1s?First, GLP-1s are a class of drugs that mimic the GLP-1 hormone that’s naturally released in your GI tract when you eat, explains Mir Ali, M.D., medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. These medications help to moderate blood sugar levels, reduce feelings of hunger in the brain, and delay emptying in the stomach, making you feel fuller, longer. As a result, a side effect is weight loss. There are some buzzy GLP-1 medications that have become household names, like Wegovy and Ozempic, but there are also other options you may not have heard about.Ultimately, the best GLP-1 medication is one that you and your healthcare provider agree will best serve your needs. But learning more about the medication you intend to use can’t hurt. Here, find the major differences between GLP-1 injections and pills.There are a lot of medications that fall into the GLP-1 class, including injectable drugs and pills. Some popular ones include Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy.It’s worth noting that Wegovy (the main active ingredient of which is semaglutide) is the only GLP-1 pill that’s approved for weight loss by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While Rybelsus is sometimes used off-label for weight loss, it’s technically FDA-approved for blood sugar management in people with type 2 diabetes (the same goes for Ozempic). So, keep in mind that the information ahead speaks primarily to Wegovy.Wegovy injection vs. pill: How does each work? GLP-1 injectable medications are usually injected into the belly. “GLP-1 injections deliver the medication into the subcutaneous fat, where it is slowly absorbed,” explains Christoph Buettner, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the division of endocrinology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “These drugs have a long half-life, about five to seven days, which is why they only need to be taken once a week.”After they’re injected, the medication steadily enters the bloodstream and activates the GLP-1 receptor, Dr. Buettner explains. Once it’s in your body, the medication signals to your brain to take in less food, says Martin Binks, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University College of Public Health. “They also help delay stomach emptying, which ultimately improves satiety and reduces hunger,” he says. “The combined influences of these medicines regulate metabolism and appetite.”The GLP-1 pills work similarly, but these contain a higher dose of medication to compensate for absorption into the digestive tract, Dr. Binks says. (The injectable medications have lower doses of medication because they’re slowly released into the bloodstream and bypass the gastrointestinal tract, Dr. Ali explains.)These medications are taken by mouth once a day. They usually need to be taken on an empty stomach, and you can’t eat or take most other medications for up to an hour afterward, Dr. Buettner points out. “These requirements can be inconvenient for many patients,” he says.Which is most effective for weight loss?It depends. There have been a few clinical trials on the impact of GLP-1 injectable medications on weight loss with different results. However, People usually lose about 15% of their body weight while using semaglutide medications like Wegovy.Meanwhile, during clinical trials for the Wegovy oral route, people who took the pill lost about 16.6% of their body weight. (That’s compared to 3% weight loss achieved by people who used a placebo.)While Rybelsus isn’t FDA-approved for weight loss, people typically lose around eight pounds while taking this medication.Which works best?There are a few things to consider. “Both injectables and pill forms can be helpful,” says Dina Hagigeorges, PA.-C., a physician assistant who specializes in weight and wellness at Tufts Medicine Weight + Wellness – Stoneham. “Unfortunately, cost and insurance coverage are a huge deciding factor, as not all insurance plans cover these medications for people.” When paid for out of pocket, injectable GLP-1 medications are usually much more expensive than their oral counterparts.There’s a larger body of research to support injectable medications for weight loss, although the Wegovy pill shows promise, Dr. Ali says. “If someone can tolerate injections, it’s usually the better way to go—they’re taken less frequently,” he says. But these medications aren’t a good fit for people who are scared of needles, and they have to be refrigerated, Dr. Ali points out.“The pills are a good option for people who don’t like injections, and you can easily take them with you when you travel,” Dr. Ali says. “But they have to be taken daily, which is not for everyone.”Side effectsThe side effects are similar for both medications, Dr. Buettner says.These side effects may include:NauseaVomitingDiarrheaConstipationUpset Stomach “The most important thing is choosing a medication that you can use consistently and that aligns with your personal priorities—whether that’s maximum weight loss, convenience, avoiding injections, or simplifying your routine,” he says. “Many patients try one form first and later switch based on their experience.”So, talk to your healthcare provider and keep the line of conversation open. You may find one form of GLP-1 feels like a more natural fit over another.

    GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) like Ozempic and Wegovy continue to make headlines as more research points to the benefits of taking these medications. Traditionally, patients administer these via injection, but now, one medication in particular is available to take in pill form. So, which works best: Wegovy injection vs. pill? And is the answer the same for all GLP-1s?

    First, GLP-1s are a class of drugs that mimic the GLP-1 hormone that’s naturally released in your GI tract when you eat, explains Mir Ali, M.D., medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. These medications help to moderate blood sugar levels, reduce feelings of hunger in the brain, and delay emptying in the stomach, making you feel fuller, longer. As a result, a side effect is weight loss.

    There are some buzzy GLP-1 medications that have become household names, like Wegovy and Ozempic, but there are also other options you may not have heard about.

    Ultimately, the best GLP-1 medication is one that you and your healthcare provider agree will best serve your needs. But learning more about the medication you intend to use can’t hurt. Here, find the major differences between GLP-1 injections and pills.

    There are a lot of medications that fall into the GLP-1 class, including injectable drugs and pills. Some popular ones include Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy.

    It’s worth noting that Wegovy (the main active ingredient of which is semaglutide) is the only GLP-1 pill that’s approved for weight loss by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While Rybelsus is sometimes used off-label for weight loss, it’s technically FDA-approved for blood sugar management in people with type 2 diabetes (the same goes for Ozempic). So, keep in mind that the information ahead speaks primarily to Wegovy.

    Wegovy injection vs. pill: How does each work?

    GLP-1 injectable medications are usually injected into the belly. “GLP-1 injections deliver the medication into the subcutaneous fat, where it is slowly absorbed,” explains Christoph Buettner, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the division of endocrinology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “These drugs have a long half-life, about five to seven days, which is why they only need to be taken once a week.”

    After they’re injected, the medication steadily enters the bloodstream and activates the GLP-1 receptor, Dr. Buettner explains. Once it’s in your body, the medication signals to your brain to take in less food, says Martin Binks, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University College of Public Health. “They also help delay stomach emptying, which ultimately improves satiety and reduces hunger,” he says. “The combined influences of these medicines regulate metabolism and appetite.”

    The GLP-1 pills work similarly, but these contain a higher dose of medication to compensate for absorption into the digestive tract, Dr. Binks says. (The injectable medications have lower doses of medication because they’re slowly released into the bloodstream and bypass the gastrointestinal tract, Dr. Ali explains.)

    These medications are taken by mouth once a day. They usually need to be taken on an empty stomach, and you can’t eat or take most other medications for up to an hour afterward, Dr. Buettner points out. “These requirements can be inconvenient for many patients,” he says.

    Which is most effective for weight loss?

    It depends. There have been a few clinical trials on the impact of GLP-1 injectable medications on weight loss with different results. However, People usually lose about 15% of their body weight while using semaglutide medications like Wegovy.

    Meanwhile, during clinical trials for the Wegovy oral route, people who took the pill lost about 16.6% of their body weight. (That’s compared to 3% weight loss achieved by people who used a placebo.)

    While Rybelsus isn’t FDA-approved for weight loss, people typically lose around eight pounds while taking this medication.

    Which works best?

    There are a few things to consider. “Both injectables and pill forms can be helpful,” says Dina Hagigeorges, PA.-C., a physician assistant who specializes in weight and wellness at Tufts Medicine Weight + Wellness – Stoneham. “Unfortunately, cost and insurance coverage are a huge deciding factor, as not all insurance plans cover these medications for people.” When paid for out of pocket, injectable GLP-1 medications are usually much more expensive than their oral counterparts.

    There’s a larger body of research to support injectable medications for weight loss, although the Wegovy pill shows promise, Dr. Ali says. “If someone can tolerate injections, it’s usually the better way to go—they’re taken less frequently,” he says. But these medications aren’t a good fit for people who are scared of needles, and they have to be refrigerated, Dr. Ali points out.

    “The pills are a good option for people who don’t like injections, and you can easily take them with you when you travel,” Dr. Ali says. “But they have to be taken daily, which is not for everyone.”

    Side effects

    The side effects are similar for both medications, Dr. Buettner says.

    These side effects may include:

    • Nausea
    • Vomiting
    • Diarrhea
    • Constipation
    • Upset Stomach

    “The most important thing is choosing a medication that you can use consistently and that aligns with your personal priorities—whether that’s maximum weight loss, convenience, avoiding injections, or simplifying your routine,” he says. “Many patients try one form first and later switch based on their experience.”

    So, talk to your healthcare provider and keep the line of conversation open. You may find one form of GLP-1 feels like a more natural fit over another.

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  • GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Are Getting a Major Upgrade After New FDA Approval

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration just approved the pill form of weight-loss drug Wegovy for use in the U.S. The daily oral medication, made by Novo Nordisk, is the first of its kind used to treat obesity.  

    Both Novo Nordisk’s and competitor Eli Lilly’s injectable GLP-1 drugs, Wegovy and Zepbound, have helped transform obesity treatment around the world, and for the 100 million people in the U.S. impacted by the disease, according to NPR. But Eli Lilly’s oral drug orforglipron is still awaiting approval, with a decision expected by spring. 

    The Pill Versus Injectable Drug

    All GLP-1 drugs are known to cause similar side effects, like nausea and diarrhea. Around one in eight Americans have taken the injectable kind, according to a survey from nonprofit health policy research group KFF. But for even more people in need of the medication, the shots are too expensive. 

    “There’s an entire demographic that can benefit from the pills,” Fatina Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital, told NPR. “For me, it’s not just about who gets it across the finish line first. It’s about having these options available to patients.”

    While injectable GLP-1 drugs can cost over $1,000 a month, producing pills is typically much cheaper. Novo Nordisk has said customers will pay $149 per month for the Wegovy pill starting dose, with further cost information released next month. 

    “It’s all about the price,” said Angela Fitch, an obesity expert and chief medical officer at knownwell, a health care company. “Just give me a drug at $100 a month that is relatively effective.” 

    The Trial

    Chris Mertens is a pediatric lung doctor who participated in the Novo Nordisk trial starting in 2022. He told NPR he lost roughly 40 pounds using the Wegovy pill.

    Ava Levinson

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  • FDA approves Wegovy pill for weight loss

    U.S. regulators on Monday gave the green light to a pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, the first daily oral medication to treat obesity.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval handed drugmaker Novo Nordisk an edge over rival Eli Lilly in the race to market an obesity pill. Lilly’s oral drug, orforglipron, is still under review.Both pills are GLP-1 drugs that work like widely used injectables to mimic a natural hormone that controls appetite and feelings of fullness.Video above: Doctor’s perspective on making GLP-1s more affordableIn 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.The Wegovy pills are expected to be available within weeks, company officials said. Availability of oral pills to treat obesity could expand the booming market for obesity treatments by broadening access and reducing costs, experts said.About 1 in 8 Americans have used injectable GLP-1 drugs, according to a survey from KFF, a nonprofit health policy research group. But many more have trouble affording the costly shots.“There’s an entire demographic that can benefit from the pills,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, a Massachusetts General Hospital obesity expert. “For me, it’s not just about who gets it across the finish line first. It’s about having these options available to patients.”The Novo Nordisk obesity pill contains 25 milligrams of semaglutide. That’s the same ingredient in injectables Wegovy and Ozempic and in Rybelsus, a lower-dose pill approved to treat diabetes in 2019.In a clinical trial, participants who took oral Wegovy lost 13.6% of their total body weight on average over about 15 months, compared with a 2.2% loss if they took a placebo, or dummy pill. That’s nearly the same as injectable Wegovy, with an average weight loss of about 15%.Chris Mertens, 35, a pediatric lung doctor in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, joined the Novo Nordisk trial in 2022 and lost about 40 pounds using the Wegovy pill. The daily medication worked to decrease his appetite and invasive thoughts of food, he said.“If there were days where I missed a meal, I almost didn’t realize it,” Mertens said.Participants in a clinical trial who took the highest dose of Lilly’s orforglipron lost 11.2% of their total body weight on average over nearly 17 months, compared with a 2.1% loss in those who took a placebo.Both pills resulted in less weight loss than the average achieved with Lilly’s Zepbound, or tirzepatide, which targets two gut hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, and led to a 21% average weight loss.All the GLP-1 drugs, oral or injectable, have similar side effects, including nausea and diarrhea.Both daily pills promise convenience, but the Wegovy pill must be taken with a sip of water in the morning on an empty stomach, with a 30-minute break before eating or drinking.That’s because Novo Nordisk had to design the pill in a way that prevented the drug from being broken down in the stomach before it could be absorbed by the bloodstream. The drugmaker added an ingredient that protects the medication for about 30 minutes in the gut and makes it easier to take effect.By contrast, Lilly’s orforglipron has no dosing restrictions. That drug is being considered under the FDA’s new priority voucher program aimed at cutting drug approval times. A decision is expected by spring.Producing pills is generally cheaper than making drugs delivered via injections, so the cost for the new oral medications could be lower. The Trump administration earlier this year said officials had worked with drugmakers to negotiate lower prices for the GLP-1 drugs, which can cost upwards of $1,000 a month.The company said the starting dose would be available for $149 per month from some providers. Additional information on cost will be available in January.It’s not clear whether daily pills or weekly injections will be preferred by patients. Although some patients dislike needles, others don’t seem to mind the weekly injections, obesity experts said. Mertens turned to injectable Zepbound when he regained weight after the end of the Wegovy pill clinical trial.He said he liked the discipline of the daily pill.“It was a little bit of an intentional routine and a reminder of today I’m taking this so that I know my choices are going to be affected for the day,” he said.Dr. Angela Fitch, an obesity expert and chief medical officer of knownwell, a health care company, said whatever the format, the biggest benefit will be in making weight-loss medications more widely accessible and affordable.“It’s all about the price,” she said. “Just give me a drug at $100 a month that is relatively effective.”

    U.S. regulators on Monday gave the green light to a pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, the first daily oral medication to treat obesity.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval handed drugmaker Novo Nordisk an edge over rival Eli Lilly in the race to market an obesity pill. Lilly’s oral drug, orforglipron, is still under review.

    Both pills are GLP-1 drugs that work like widely used injectables to mimic a natural hormone that controls appetite and feelings of fullness.

    Video above: Doctor’s perspective on making GLP-1s more affordable

    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.

    The Wegovy pills are expected to be available within weeks, company officials said. Availability of oral pills to treat obesity could expand the booming market for obesity treatments by broadening access and reducing costs, experts said.

    About 1 in 8 Americans have used injectable GLP-1 drugs, according to a survey from KFF, a nonprofit health policy research group. But many more have trouble affording the costly shots.

    “There’s an entire demographic that can benefit from the pills,” said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, a Massachusetts General Hospital obesity expert. “For me, it’s not just about who gets it across the finish line first. It’s about having these options available to patients.”

    The Novo Nordisk obesity pill contains 25 milligrams of semaglutide. That’s the same ingredient in injectables Wegovy and Ozempic and in Rybelsus, a lower-dose pill approved to treat diabetes in 2019.

    In a clinical trial, participants who took oral Wegovy lost 13.6% of their total body weight on average over about 15 months, compared with a 2.2% loss if they took a placebo, or dummy pill. That’s nearly the same as injectable Wegovy, with an average weight loss of about 15%.

    Chris Mertens, 35, a pediatric lung doctor in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, joined the Novo Nordisk trial in 2022 and lost about 40 pounds using the Wegovy pill. The daily medication worked to decrease his appetite and invasive thoughts of food, he said.

    “If there were days where I missed a meal, I almost didn’t realize it,” Mertens said.

    Participants in a clinical trial who took the highest dose of Lilly’s orforglipron lost 11.2% of their total body weight on average over nearly 17 months, compared with a 2.1% loss in those who took a placebo.

    Both pills resulted in less weight loss than the average achieved with Lilly’s Zepbound, or tirzepatide, which targets two gut hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, and led to a 21% average weight loss.

    All the GLP-1 drugs, oral or injectable, have similar side effects, including nausea and diarrhea.

    Both daily pills promise convenience, but the Wegovy pill must be taken with a sip of water in the morning on an empty stomach, with a 30-minute break before eating or drinking.

    That’s because Novo Nordisk had to design the pill in a way that prevented the drug from being broken down in the stomach before it could be absorbed by the bloodstream. The drugmaker added an ingredient that protects the medication for about 30 minutes in the gut and makes it easier to take effect.

    By contrast, Lilly’s orforglipron has no dosing restrictions. That drug is being considered under the FDA’s new priority voucher program aimed at cutting drug approval times. A decision is expected by spring.

    Producing pills is generally cheaper than making drugs delivered via injections, so the cost for the new oral medications could be lower. The Trump administration earlier this year said officials had worked with drugmakers to negotiate lower prices for the GLP-1 drugs, which can cost upwards of $1,000 a month.

    The company said the starting dose would be available for $149 per month from some providers. Additional information on cost will be available in January.

    It’s not clear whether daily pills or weekly injections will be preferred by patients. Although some patients dislike needles, others don’t seem to mind the weekly injections, obesity experts said. Mertens turned to injectable Zepbound when he regained weight after the end of the Wegovy pill clinical trial.

    He said he liked the discipline of the daily pill.

    “It was a little bit of an intentional routine and a reminder of today I’m taking this so that I know my choices are going to be affected for the day,” he said.

    Dr. Angela Fitch, an obesity expert and chief medical officer of knownwell, a health care company, said whatever the format, the biggest benefit will be in making weight-loss medications more widely accessible and affordable.

    “It’s all about the price,” she said. “Just give me a drug at $100 a month that is relatively effective.”

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  • Semaglutide fails to slow progression of Alzheimer’s in highly anticipated trials, Novo Nordisk says

    An oral version of semaglutide, the active ingredient in blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, failed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in closely watched trials, Novo Nordisk said Monday.In two Phase 3 trials of more than 3,800 adults receiving standard care for Alzheimer’s, the company evaluated whether an older pill form of semaglutide worked better than a placebo. The drug was shown to be safe and led to improvements in Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers, the company said, but the treatment did not delay disease progression.Novo had long treated Alzheimer’s as a long-shot bet for the popular GLP-1 drugs. Use of these drugs for diabetes and weight loss has exploded in recent years, and they have shown benefits for a wide range of additional health conditions, such as protecting the heart and kidneys, reducing sleep apnea and potentially helping with addiction.Smaller trials and animal studies had suggested GLP-1s might help slow cognitive decline or reduce neuro-inflammation but larger trials like Novo’s were needed to confirm whether patients saw actual benefits.”Based on the significant unmet need in Alzheimer’s disease as well as a number of indicative data points, we felt we had a responsibility to explore semaglutide’s potential, despite a low likelihood of success,” said Martin Holst Lange, chief scientific officer and executive vice president of Research and Development at Novo Nordisk said in a statement on Monday that thanked trial participants.A one-year extension of the trials will be discontinued, Novo said. Results from the trials have not yet been peer-reviewed or published but will be presented at upcoming scientific conferences.Novo has been facing increased competition in the weight loss market and recently announced lowered prices for some cash-paying patients using Ozempic and Wegovy. Novo shares fell Monday after the Alzheimer’s trial announcement.

    CNN —

    An oral version of semaglutide, the active ingredient in blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, failed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in closely watched trials, Novo Nordisk said Monday.

    In two Phase 3 trials of more than 3,800 adults receiving standard care for Alzheimer’s, the company evaluated whether an older pill form of semaglutide worked better than a placebo. The drug was shown to be safe and led to improvements in Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers, the company said, but the treatment did not delay disease progression.

    Novo had long treated Alzheimer’s as a long-shot bet for the popular GLP-1 drugs. Use of these drugs for diabetes and weight loss has exploded in recent years, and they have shown benefits for a wide range of additional health conditions, such as protecting the heart and kidneys, reducing sleep apnea and potentially helping with addiction.

    Smaller trials and animal studies had suggested GLP-1s might help slow cognitive decline or reduce neuro-inflammation but larger trials like Novo’s were needed to confirm whether patients saw actual benefits.

    “Based on the significant unmet need in Alzheimer’s disease as well as a number of indicative data points, we felt we had a responsibility to explore semaglutide’s potential, despite a low likelihood of success,” said Martin Holst Lange, chief scientific officer and executive vice president of Research and Development at Novo Nordisk said in a statement on Monday that thanked trial participants.

    A one-year extension of the trials will be discontinued, Novo said. Results from the trials have not yet been peer-reviewed or published but will be presented at upcoming scientific conferences.

    Novo has been facing increased competition in the weight loss market and recently announced lowered prices for some cash-paying patients using Ozempic and Wegovy. Novo shares fell Monday after the Alzheimer’s trial announcement.

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  • Eli Lilly to Launch a GLP-1 Pill to Rival Ozempic, but There’s a Catch

    Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is looking to roll out a daily weight loss pill for patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes. A recent trial showed the drug enabled people with both conditions to lose weight and reduce blood sugar levels substantially.

    The drug, orforglipron, will serve as an alternative to injectable weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy that use semaglutide to mimic the hormone GLP-1. 

    An earlier trial showed orforglipron enabled weight loss for people with obesity, though at a smaller rate than injectable drugs. Still, a pill is more convenient, said Deborah Horn, the medical director at the UT Physicians Center for Obesity Medicine and Metabolic Performance. 

    Horn sought to test the drug’s effects on people with both obesity and type 2 diabetes. 

    She recruited 1,600 people from 10 countries to participate in a second trial. All participants had both conditions, and they were split into four groups: the first three took either a low, medium, or high dose of orforglipron each day, while the fourth group took a placebo pill. Everyone was given lifestyle advice. 

    The trial found that the high dose group lost almost 10 percent of their body weight on average, and reduced blood sugar levels by nearly 2 percent. Those on the medium dosage lost 7 percent of their weight and the low dosage group lost 5 percent. The placebo group lost an average of less than three percent of their body weight.

    Results proved that orforglipron enables weight loss for these patients, too, though again at a smaller percentage than injectable semaglutide. 

    But that amount of weight loss is still beneficial, said Stefan Trapp, a professor of autonomic neuroscience and metabolic disease at University College London who wasn’t involved in the study.

    “Weight loss of just five percent tends to show very clear benefits—for instance, people are able to exercise a bit more, to change their lifestyle, reduce their risk of other conditions,” Trapp said. 

    He added that because the pill doesn’t need to be refrigerated or distributed through syringes, it should be cheaper than the injectable version to make, store, and deliver to patients.

    Eli Lilly hopes the drug will be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for people with obesity and type 2 diabetes by early 2026, Horn said. 

    “It is my hope as a physician that the FDA will choose to approve all three doses so that we have flexibility in choosing the best dose for our patients that optimizes health and minimizes side effects,” she said. 

    The final deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, December 12, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

    Ava Levinson

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  • Ozempic Spells Trouble for the U.S. Economy—With 5 Exceptions

    The effects of Ozempic on grocery spending are obvious; the Harvard Business Review found GLP-1 households are spending up to 8 percent less on food. The restaurant industry is suffering, too. Food and Wine warns that the Ozempic effect is “rewriting the rules of dining out.” But the food and dining categories are just the first victims of Ozempic.

    Twelve percent of the U.S. population has taken GLP-1s at one time or another, with the number rising to 20 percent of women 50-64.  In September, a pill form was introduced, which will undoubtedly increase adoption.

    Science is finding that in addition to curbing food cravings, addictions to opioids, alcohol, and nicotine may be treatable with these compounds.

    That’s good news for human health. What isn’t getting nearly enough attention, though, is what happens more broadly—beyond food, smoking, substance abuse—when those hormones are suppressed?

    Disaster.

    The “Impulse Economy” is under siege

    Marketers have spent decades getting exquisitely good at creating and monetizing tiny bursts of desire. They are black belts in provoking dopamine release, whether consumers are clicking or scrolling, or getting triggered at the checkout by the cornucopia of impulse purchases. Or being seduced by in-game sports betting.

    This emotional manipulation is what powers the consumer economy—which makes up almost 68 percent of U.S. GDP.

    But that emotional need is being threatened by the current wave of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.

    Researchers are now noting that, in addition to curbing food, alcohol, and drug cravings, GLP-1 drugs also appear to broadly target the brain’s dopamine reward system, which creates anticipation and the impulse to go after something—or spend money on something.

    This can be a punch in the gut to brands. While many discretionary consumer categories are likely to be threatened, it is the most dopamine-driven sectors that will be at heightened risk. You know who they are. Businesses like Fan Duel, Starbucks, the temptations at Costco, the beauty haul at Sephora—these are all powered by dopamine cravings.

    So too is the world of direct-to-consumer brands that are successfully turning thumb-stopping into immediate purchase.

    A quick look at some basic brain science explains everything.

    The billions that are being spent in the non-essential “impulse economy” are the beneficiaries of System One, the so-called fast brain, our more instinctive, quick-turn mechanism.

    When System One is blunted, System Two—the slow brain, the more thoughtful and considered processing operation—takes over.  

    Here are some quotes from Reddit that capture the GLP-1 effect. There are many others, and they all should be unsettling to the dopamine harvesters out there:

    “I found that it actually stopped my shopping impulses, doom scrolling, and any of the other unwanted dopamine-seeking activities,” wrote one user.

    From another user: “Came here to mention how much less shopping I’ve been doing! I still go to websites and look at stuff, even add some to my cart, but then I just… don’t feel the need to check out. Very unexpected, but it’s definitely saving me money!”

    As GLP-1 drugs are being researched for more and more conditions—like cognitive decline, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, and others—millions more will have this Reddit reaction.

    Master the slow brain

    You can’t reignite the craving circuits GLP-1s dampen. Biology now outranks branding on that axis. But marketers can tap the pathways GLP-1s don’t blunt. 

    Here are five areas where businesses can still succeed in an Ozempic-ruled world.

    Identity still matters. People buy to express who they are—or who they want to be. That circuit is intact.

    Ritual still works. GLP-1 drugs weaken impulses, not routine. Daily and weekly anchors can replace sugar-rush consumption.

    Status endures. Social identity and signaling rely on different neural systems than craving.

    Sensory experience is still craveable. Texture, aroma, temperature, sound—sensory design taps pathways outside the dopamine loop.

    Goals and completion are still deeply satisfying. Motivation tied to progress, tracking, achievement, and self-improvement is strong and unaltered.

    In short, brands relying on impulsivity will struggle with GLP-1. Brands that reroute desire into underlying psychological truths can thrive.

    A five-point plan for marketing to muted desire

    Build on the slow brain hacks described above with these techniques.

    Don’t run from logic. Marketers have spent decades focusing on emotional versus rational drivers.  GLP-1 allows space for the logical, so make sure your marketing narrative responds accordingly.  With craving dialed down, the rational brain gets a bigger share of the vote.

    Simplify choice. A cooler dopamine baseline has less tolerance for clutter and SKU overload. This also has graphic and aesthetic applications—give the brain a visually calm resting place.  

    Design rituals, not jolts. The comfort of habit can replace the reward loop of impulse and become a dependable driver of repeat behavior. Higher levels of dopamine drive consumers to seek novelty, which leads to brand switching. Lower levels can actually make brands stickier and generate loyalty.

    Don’t be pushy. The fast brain is wired for quick decisions; it doesn’t mind being pushed and rushed. FOMO works with System One. The slow brain likes to think things over, to mull. GLP-1 consumers will appreciate a less in-your-face selling ecosystem.

    Invest in confidence. In a new world where immediacy is replaced by contemplation, make sure your brand delivers on that extended marketing moment. That could mean using third-party experts to add reinforcement and credibility. Real authority versus superficial influencer hype. Extending your guarantee to de-risk the purchase is also slow brain candy.

    Neurochemical quieting may be the biggest unmodeled demand shock in decades.

    What happens when the American shopper becomes less temptable? When the internal amplifier that turns tiny stimuli into potent urges gets turned to a lower setting?

    We’re about to find out.

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

    The final deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, December 12, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

    Adam Hanft

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  • Gordon Findlay didn’t faint Nov. 6 in the Oval Office

    Video clips of a man collapsing Nov. 6 at President Donald Trump’s drug pricing announcement quickly spiraled into misleading narratives. 

    Dave Ricks, chair and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly and Co., was speaking in the Oval Office when a man standing behind him fainted. Television cameras captured Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leaving the room as other people, including federal health official Dr. Mehmet Oz, treated the man who collapsed. 

    After White House officials paused the event, social media users misleadingly jumped to conclusions about the man’s identity and Kennedy’s response.

    “BREAKING: RFK Jr. flees the scene after Novo Nordisk Executive Gordon Findlay collapsed in the Oval Office,” says the caption of a Nov. 6 X post that had more than 3 million views as of Nov. 7.

    Other social media posts on TikTok and X shared similar claims, including X’s artificial intelligence-powered chatbot Grok, who responded to users that Gordon Findlay was the person who fainted in the Oval Office.

    These posts named the wrong person, and the White House disputes the explanation for Kennedy’s exit.

    Here’s what we know about the incident at Trump’s event with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk executives to lower prices for popular pharmaceutical drugs such as GLP-1 weight loss medications.

    Gordon Findlay is not the man who fainted in the Oval Office

    In the clip, Ricks pauses his remarks and says, “Gordon, are you okay?”

    This likely made people think the person who collapsed was Gordon Findlay, Novo Nordisk’s global brand director based in Basel, Switzerland. 

    Multiple media outlets also identified the man as Findlay before later correcting their stories.

    But Findlay didn’t attend the White House event.

    Newsweek reported that Novo Nordisk said in a statement, “CEO Mike Doustdar and Executive Vice President of U.S. Operations, Dave Moore were the only two Novo Nordisk representatives in the Oval Office.”

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters who were rushed out of the room that the man who fainted was a “representative” of one of the companies at the event. 

    “During the Most Favored Nations Oval Office Announcement, a representative with one of the companies fainted. The White House Medical Unit quickly jumped into action, and the gentleman is okay. The Press Conference will resume shortly,” Leavitt said, according to an email to the press pool.

    When the press conference resumed, Trump said the man was fine, without naming him. 

    Ricks identified him as a guest of Eli Lilly in a press briefing after the event, The Hill reported. 

    Dan Diamond, a Washington Post White House reporter, wrote on his Substack that after talking to people with direct knowledge of the White House event, he learned that the man who fainted was an Eli Lilly patient who had been invited to the White House because of his experience of taking a GLP-1 drug.

    The claim that Kennedy fled from the scene is also misleading

    Social media users mocked Kennedy as fleeing the scene, but White House officials said that wasn’t what happened. 

    Kush Desai, White House deputy press secretary, responded to an X post from independent journalist and social media video clipper Aaron Rupar, saying that Kennedy rushed out of the event to seek medical assistance for the man who fainted.

    Our ruling

    An X post says, “RFK Jr. flees the scene after Novo Nordisk Executive Gordon Findlay collapsed in the Oval Office.”

    Findlay didn’t attend the White House event. The man who fainted doesn’t work for Novo Nordisk or Eli Lilly; he was an Eli Lilly GLP-1 patient and guest.

    Social media users said Kennedy fled the scene; a White House spokesperson wrote on X that Kennedy was seeking medical attention for the man.

    We rate this claim False.

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  • Few Employer Health Plans Cover Ozempic. This Company Can Help

    Many American workers want to use GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, to meet their weight loss goals. The trouble is, most employee health plans don’t cover them — but a new company hopes to change that.

    A prescription drug employee benefit company, called Andel, announced its debut at the HLTH conference in Las Vegas on Monday. Early next year, Andel will help reduce the cost of providing GLP-1 medications in employee benefits packages by forming an employer co-op. Under this setup, Andel is able to buy the medication in bulk directly from drug manufacturers instead of negotiating prices from pharmacy benefit managers, which are usually owned by insurers. Employers can reduce the cost even further by adding subsidies.

    “Instead of asking [employers] to sign up to a fully-funded insurance plan, which is really expensive and unpredictable and challenging, all we would ask for is a small 50 to $100 per claim subsidy, which we pass directly to reduce the cost of the drugs,” Andel CEO and Co-founder Jay Bregman says.

    Employers are legally required to cover GLP-1 medication for diabetes, but not for weight loss. The injectable version of the drugs typically costs between $1,000 and $1,500 a month — which isn’t doable for most employers, especially with premiums projected to spike by 9 percent next year. Currently, 64 percent of employers do not cover GLP-1 medication to help workers shed pounds — but boy, do they wish they did. Up to 35 percent of Americans say they “are interested” in using the drug to lose weight, according to a PwC survey.

    Lesley Grady, senior vice president of enterprise marketing at Sequoia — a benefits brokerage known for serving Silicon Valley tech startups and large companies — confirms strong interest in GLP-1 coverage. She says their clients are looking for creative solutions to make the medication more affordable for employers. The brokerage plans to start offering Andel to clients who are looking to beef up their benefit plans.

    “Employees in tech have high expectations of their benefits, but I think employers obviously know that if they include it with unchecked access, it will blow up their budget,” Grady says. “So they’re really under pressure to find solutions right now that don’t just open up their floodgates — we see that strategy with Andel.”

    Andel doesn’t plan to stop with weight loss drugs — in the coming years, the company hopes to apply the same cooperative, subsidy model to preventative Alzheimer’s drugs and potentially gene therapy, the co-founders told Inc.

    “Expanding access to healthcare is the cornerstone of our mission,” says Andel Co-founder Ritu Malhotra. “Andel gives employers an innovative new pharmacy-benefit solution that fills the coverage gap.”

    Andel was co-founded by Bregman, who successfully exited three companies — including the ridesharing network Hailo, rebranded to Lyft Europe — and Malhotra, who’s also a pharmacist and former CVS Health executive. At the conference, the founders announced they raised $4.5 million in capital to launch the platform. Investors include Lightbank, Seedcamp, Bertelsmann Investments, Houghton Street Ventures, and Springboard.

    Eric Ong, partner at Lightbank — a venture capital firm that invests heavily in benefit tech companies — told Inc. that Malhotra’s PBM experience and Bregman’s entrepreneurial success is uniquely positioned to help tackle the high cost of in-demand prescription drugs. The firm invested in the company because they haven’t seen any other solutions addressing this challenge, he says.

    “There’s a disconnect between employers wanting to offer good benefits and health benefits and keeping their employees healthy — at the same time, they can’t afford it. So, we just found that really interesting and sort of novel in the market today,” Ong says.

    Kayla Webster

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  • Lilly Releases Zepbound Single-Dose Vials for Adults Living with Obesity

    Lilly Releases Zepbound Single-Dose Vials for Adults Living with Obesity

    Eli Lilly and Company released Zepbound (tirzepatide) 2.5 mg and 5 mg single-dose vials for adults living with obesity, and announced the medicines are available for self-pay for patients with an on-label prescription. The company said it significantly expands the supply of Zepbound in response to high demand.

    The single-dose vials are priced at a 50% or greater discount compared to the list price of all other incretin (GLP-1) medicines for obesity. This new option helps millions of adults with obesity access the medicine they need, including those not eligible for the Zepbound savings card program, those without employer coverage, and those who need to self-pay outside of insurance.

    “We are excited to share that the Zepbound single-dose vials are now here, further delivering on our promise to increase supply of Zepbound in the U.S.,” said Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president, and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA. “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. In a clinical study, the 5 mg maintenance dose helped patients achieve an average of 15% weight loss after 72 weeks of treatment and has been a powerful tool for millions of people with obesity looking to lose weight and keep it off.”

    Lilly has created a new self-pay pharmacy component of LillyDirect where patients with a valid, on-label prescription from the health care provider of their choice can purchase the vials. Distributing the vials via this channel ensures patients and providers can trust they are receiving genuine Lilly medicine, building on the company’s efforts to help protect the public from the dangers posed by the proliferation of counterfeit, fake, unsafe or untested knock-offs of Lilly’s medications.

    Lilly has also taken a vocal stance against the use of obesity medicine for cosmetic weight loss; a multi-step verification process will help ensure the vials are dispensed only to patients who have a valid, on-label electronic prescription from their health care provider. Patients can also purchase ancillary supplies, like syringes and needles, and will have access to important patient-friendly instructional materials on correctly administering the medicine via needle and syringe.

    “People living with obesity have long been denied access to the essential treatment and care needed to manage this serious chronic disease,” said James Zervos, chief operating officer, Obesity Action Coalition. “Expanding coverage and affordability of treatments is vital to people living with obesity. We commend Lilly for their leadership in offering an innovative solution that brings us closer to making equitable care a reality. Now, it’s time for policymakers, employers and insurers to work with pharmaceutical companies to ensure no one is left behind in receiving the care they deserve and need.”

    A four-week supply of the 2.5 mg Zepbound single-dose vial is $399 ($99.75 per vial), and a four-week supply of the 5 mg dose is $549 ($137.25 per vial) – less than half the list price of other incretin medicines for obesity and in line with the Zepbound savings program for non-covered individuals. The self-pay channel enables a transparent price by removing third-party supply chain entities and allowing patients to access savings directly outside of insurance.

    “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,” said Jonsson. “Outdated policies and lack of coverage for obesity medications create an urgent need for more innovative solutions. Bringing Zepbound single-dose vials to patients will help more people living with obesity manage this chronic condition. We will also continue to advocate for a system that better aligns with the science.”

    In a clinical study, tirzepatide 5 mg, along with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity, achieved an average of 15% weight loss over 72 weeks compared to 3.1% for placebo. Zepbound is the first and only obesity treatment of its kind that activates both GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) hormone receptors. Zepbound tackles an underlying cause of excess weight. It reduces appetite and how much you eat. Zepbound is indicated for adults with obesity, or those who are overweight and also have weight-related medical problems, to lose weight and keep it off. Zepbound should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. It should not be used in children under 18 years of age or with other tirzepatide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. Zepbound has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis, or with severe gastrointestinal disease, including severe gastroparesis, and it is unknown if patients with a history of pancreatitis are at higher risk for developing pancreatitis on Zepbound.

    Zepbound is also available in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, or 15 mg per 0.5 ml doses in a single-dose pen (autoinjector). The recommended maintenance dosages are 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly.

    To learn more about the Zepbound® single-dose vial, please visit Lilly online.

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  • Don’t Look Now, But Ozempic Might Help You Quit Smoking, Too

    Don’t Look Now, But Ozempic Might Help You Quit Smoking, Too

    Semaglutide, the active ingredient in popular weight loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, may help people quit smoking, too. New research published Monday has found evidence that semaglutide can prevent or treat people’s nicotine dependence. More study will be needed to confirm this potential benefit, however.

    Semaglutide and other newer GLP-1 drugs have proven to be substantially more effective at helping people lose weight than diet and exercise alone. But scientists at Case Western Reserve University, led by researcher Rong Xu, have been studying the possible effects of semaglutide and similar drugs that might extend beyond treating weight loss and type 2 diabetes. Earlier this month, for instance, they published a study finding that GLP-1 drugs may be able to reduce the overall risk of obesity-related cancer in people with diabetes. Their new research, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at the connection between semaglutide use and nicotine use disorder.

    The researchers analyzed the health records of over 200,000 diabetes patients after they were newly prescribed one of several antidiabetes medications, including nearly 6,000 people who were prescribed semaglutide. They found that semaglutide users were noticeably less likely to be diagnosed with tobacco use disorder or to be given treatments for it (i.e., drugs or counseling) over the following year. This pattern held true when the researchers only looked at people with or without obesity as well.

    “While there are effective medications to support people if they wish to stop smoking, not everyone responds to them,” said Xu, a biomedical informatics professor at Case Western, in a statement from the university. “As a result of the high relapse rates, alternative medications to help people stop smoking are needed.”

    The team’s findings alone cannot prove that semaglutide and similar drugs can help treat tobacco addiction. But anecdotes and some studies (including one by the same scientists published in May) have increasingly suggested that GLP-1 drugs can temper harmful cravings caused by other vices such as alcohol and even gambling. As a result, scientists elsewhere have begun to test out semaglutide for alcohol use disorder in clinical trials (with early promising results so far)—a trend that should be followed with nicotine as well, the authors say. “These findings suggest the need for clinical trials to evaluate semaglutide’s potential for [tobacco use disorder] treatment,” they wrote in their paper.

    From potentially preventing cancer to possibly keeping our brains sharper as we reach our later years, is there anything that semaglutide can’t do?

    Ed Cara

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  • Weight Loss Drug Users Are Giving Up Their Vices

    Weight Loss Drug Users Are Giving Up Their Vices

    Image: Hollie Adams (Reuters)

    It’s not only food CEOs who need to worry about their bottom lines thanks to in-demand weight loss drugs like Ozempic. Big Tobacco and Alcohol have reason to fret, too.

    The Best Things You Didn’t Know Your Switch Could Do

    A new report from Morgan Stanley finds that people using GLP-1 drugs — among them Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound — reduce their consumption of tobacco and alcohol while taking the medications. GLP-1s are a class of diabetes and weight loss drugs that have recently caught fire (and blown up sales numbers) for their ability to suppress a user’s appetite.

    The investment bank also surveyed about 300 GLP-1 users about their consumption habits while taking the medication. Analysts at the bank have previously cautioned that the growing use of GLP-1s will put some longterm pressure on fast food sales, as users have reported spending less money at restaurants. But their survey also finds that users are reducing their intake of tobacco and alcohol.

    Could weight loss drugs help users smoke or drink less?

    While 40% of survey respondents said they smoked cigarettes at least weekly before starting a GLP-1 treatment, that number fell to 24% after they started the treatment. Meanwhile, weekly e-cigarette usage dropped from 30% of respondents to 16% after they started taking a GLP-1.

    Morgan Stanley found similar results when it asked respondents about their use of alcohol. About 56-62% of alcohol consumers on GLP-1s reported drinking less alcohol since starting the medications, with about 14-18% cutting their alcohol consumption entirely.

    The analysts noted they were “cautious about drawing conclusions” from their survey about the impact of GLP-1 drugs on addictive behaviors. But there has been anecdotal evidence from patients and health care providers that suggests GLP-1s can help users curb their addictions to alcohol and tobacco. While research hasn’t yet proven a causal link between the two, clinical trials are currently underway to better understand the effects of GLP-1’s on alcohol and tobacco consumption.

    In addition, Morgan Stanley anticipates the GLP-1 frenzy isn’t slowing anytime soon. global market for GLP-1 drugs will reach $105 billion by 2030. It also projects these drugs will be adopted by about 31.5 million people in the U.S. (or about 9% of the nation’s population) by 2035.

    This article originally appeared on Quartz.

    Bruce Gil, Quartz

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