December 17, 2023 — “Are you sure you want an Ozempic pill?” In the Atlantic, Yasmin Tayag poses this question. Back in June people were bubbling with enthusiasm at the prospect of an oral small molecule – orforglipron – that might work as well as injectable semaglutide. But Tayag offers caution that we share. One size, one approach, for […]
December 7, 2023 — It is mildly entertaining to watch people squirm as new obesity medicines disrupt their presumptions about obesity and its treatment. Of course, this squirming comes in many different forms. One expression of it is dismay that many people don’t keep taking obesity meds after a year. “Until compliance for these medications increases,” we’re not going […]
December 6, 2023 — The Zepbound brand of tirzepatide is now available in U.S. pharmacies. This is a big deal because this launch marks the emergence of serious competition for advanced obesity medicines. Even (or perhaps especially) in healthcare, money indeed makes the world go around and one of the best checks on greed is competition. So as Zepbound […]
December 2, 2023 — Dozens of new obesity medicines are in the pipeline for clinical development. Some folks are especially interested in oral medicines that are small molecules. They’re looking for something that offers a sharp contrast with the complex peptide molecules (like semaglutide) given by injection, which are expensive and hard to make. One of the small, orally […]
November 25, 2023 — Two weeks ago, a shift started in the public messaging about semaglutide supply issues that have dogged Novo Nordisk from the very beginning of launching a version of this drug (Wegovy) for obesity. Has the catch-up game in production capacity for obesity and diabetes medicines begun at last in earnest? At the beginning of November, […]
November 23, 2023 — If we grant that this is the year of Ozempic, then perhaps the flood of stories about how Ozempic will mix with the food-focused holiday of Thanksgiving should not surprise us. Will it throw us all off because it robs us of a “food orgy” as the AP suggests? Or will we find a better […]
November 16, 2023 — It was an amazing moment. Hundreds upon hundreds people packed into huge convention hall to hear about the detailed outcomes of the first ever randomized controlled trial to show that treating obesity could prevent heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths. The implications of the SELECT trial for obesity care will be enormous and we had […]
November 13, 2023 — Nestled in the midst of a lot of good news last week was a nasty reminder of a persistent problem. It’s the fake line that people persist in drawing between obesity and other metabolic disease. Lilly did it (with consent from FDA) when they decided to put a different brand name on tirzepatide for obesity. […]
November 12, 2023 — For some time to come, we will be learning more and more about the details and implications of the landmark SELECT study published yesterday in NEJM and presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia. A massive crowd packed the meeting hall yesterday for good reason. These results will change the practice of […]
November 11, 2023 — Newly published in full, the results of the SELECT study of semaglutide for cardiovascular outcomes in persons with obesity but not diabetes makes one thing undeniable. Obesity is a chronic, treatable disease. Treating obesity requires more than just telling a person to change their lifestyle. It involves addressing the disease pathology that is at work, […]
