Aug 6, 2026
Novo Nordisk reported quarterly results that beat expectations and raised guidance, but shares fell as investors remained concerned about the company's path to sustainable growth amid increasing competition in the obesity drug market.
Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced it will allow a limited number of patients with severe obesity to access its unapproved experimental drug retatrutide through a compassionate use program, following a case where it granted the drug to a 79-year-old patient. The program has strict eligibility criteria that most patients cannot meet.
Stanford Medicine scientists have identified a naturally occurring peptide called BRP that suppresses appetite and reduces body weight in animal studies, potentially offering similar benefits to drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy but without side effects such as nausea, digestive issues, and muscle loss. The molecule was discovered using artificial intelligence algorithms.
South Africa's health regulator is reviewing 12 applications for generic versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy, following patent expiration. Separately, Aspen Pharmacare received Canadian approval for its generic version, while Novo Nordisk plans to launch a cheaper authorized copy in South Africa.
The European Commission has approved Novo Nordisk's once-daily Wegovy pill for weight management in adults with obesity or who are overweight, marking the first oral GLP-1 weight-loss treatment cleared for use across the European Union.
On July 9, 2026, China's National Health Commission added injectable semaglutide and 115 other drugs to its National Essential Medicines List — the first update in eight years — expanding the catalog to 794 medicines effective September 1, 2026, while domestic oral GLP-1 candidates from Hengrui and Gan & Lee advanced in clinical trials.
A secret shopper investigation of 49 websites prescribing GLP-1 weight loss drugs confirmed experts' concerns about inadequate clinical oversight and fast, easy prescriptions with minimal medical evaluation.
Lawsuits over vision loss risks from Saxenda (liraglutide) emerge as Medicare begins covering GLP-1 medications for seniors over 65, raising questions about proper usage and safety in older populations.
Starting July 1, 2026, Medicare will cover select GLP-1 weight loss medications for approximately $50 through a Trump administration pilot program, marking the first time the federal program has covered obesity drugs. The 18-month initiative raises concerns about potential drug shortages.
Eli Lilly provided its experimental 'triple-G' weight loss drug retatrutide to a 79-year-old patient through the FDA's compassionate use program, marking an extremely rare instance of pre-approval access to an obesity medication.
AstraZeneca announced results from a phase II trial showing its oral GLP-1 therapy reduced body weight by 10.5%, positioning the company to compete with Eli Lilly in the race to develop convenient pill-based obesity treatments. The drug is advancing to late-stage trials.
Poison control centers have experienced a sharp increase in calls related to semaglutide medications (Ozempic and Wegovy) following their approval for weight management, with researchers finding most cases stem from preventable dosing mistakes such as daily instead of weekly injections or confusion about proper dosage units.
CVS Health announced it will add Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug Zepbound back to some of its drug lists as an additional preferred option and begin coverage for the drugmaker's newly approved obesity pill, Forza.
Eli Lilly announced positive results from its Phase 3 TRIUMPH-1 trial showing retatrutide, an experimental triple-agonist obesity drug, achieved average weight loss of 28.3% at 80 weeks and 30.3% at 104 weeks on the highest dose, matching weight reduction levels typically seen with bariatric surgery.
Novo Nordisk's stock price and earnings received a boost following less-negative news about the development of an oral version of its blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy, marking progress in the company's efforts to create a pill formulation.
France's medicines regulator has imposed fines on Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly for their weight loss drug advertising campaigns, marking a significant regulatory action against the pharmaceutical giants' marketing practices.
A clinical trial of 108 adults with obesity and alcohol use disorder found that once-weekly semaglutide injections reduced heavy drinking days in the past 30 days by an average of roughly 12 days, representing a 50% reduction compared to placebo.
Americans are expected to spend more than $1 trillion on prescription drugs in 2026, according to a new report from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. The surge is largely attributed to the growing popularity of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.
Medical professionals and researchers are expressing serious concerns about GLP-1 receptor agonist medications like Ozempic being misused by people with eating disorders or triggering disordered eating behaviors, with patients describing the drugs as addictive and relapse-inducing.
British researchers have created a new diagnostic tool designed to identify individuals most at risk of developing obesity-related diseases, which could help target weight-loss medications to those who would benefit most from treatment.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that its temporary BALANCE model program to cover GLP-1 drugs for obesity in Medicare will not launch as scheduled in January, effectively extending the current coverage approach.
Mayo Clinic study finds metabolic and bariatric surgery provides significantly greater long-term cardiovascular risk reduction compared to GLP-1 medications in people with obesity, despite both treatments improving heart health.
Researchers who developed GLP-1 obesity medications are now advancing a provocative hypothesis that targeting the GLP-1 hormone may not be necessary for effective weight loss, potentially reshaping the approach to obesity treatment.
Medical professionals and patients on social media are increasingly reporting a phenomenon called 'Ozempic personality,' characterized by emotional flattening and reduced ability to experience joy while taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss.
New research shows adolescents consuming more ultra-processed foods have significantly higher odds of obesity, while separate studies link UPF consumption to higher muscle fat content in adults at risk for knee osteoarthritis and worse overall muscle health.
University of Pennsylvania researchers used AI to analyze over 400,000 Reddit posts to identify patient-reported symptoms associated with semaglutide and tirzepatide that may not be captured in clinical trials.