Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are offering discounts to encourage more insurance coverage of the medicines, which carry price tags of over $1,000 a month.

Weight loss drugs have gained attention as a tool to help combat obesity, but understanding how they work, who they’re for, and their potential downsides is key to making informed decisions.

One of the researchers described the circumstances that led to the discovery as “serendipity.” This year’s prestigious Lasker medical awards recognize a trio of scientists without whom Ozempic and other blockbuster weight-loss drugs might not exist.

F ROM LOS ANGELES to London, weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic are reshaping culture as much as waistlines. Some Ozempic-takers have tiny appetites and dine at unusual hours to avoid spells of nausea.

Lipo Slim helps manage hunger, which can make sticking to a diet easier. It’s like having a built-in appetite suppressant. Fitspresso, meanwhile, can enhance metabolism and provide an energy boost similar to coffee. While Lipo Slim works on controlling what goes into my body, Fitspresso focuses on how efficiently my body uses what’s already there.

Many people are doing an end-run around their doctor's office, reaching out to potentially unreliable sources that promise to set them up with Wegovy, Zepbound and other weight-loss drugs.

Half a century of advancements in biomedical science paved the way for today's powerful weight-loss drugs like Ozempic -- so what was that journey like for the scientists involved?

Research has shown there are plenty of perks of using a medication like Ozempic for weight loss. But, given that this is a drug, there are some potential downsides to consider, too. New research published in JAMA Network Open links GLP-1 receptor agonists—a class of medications that includes semaglutide medications like Ozempic and Wegovy—to a loss of bone density.