On The Pen GLP-1 News

Is obesity still a disease worthy of treatment when the patient is six years old? This week, Novo Nordisk released Phase 3 STEP Young data in children ages 6 to 11 with obesity. After 68 weeks, 40.4% of children treated with semaglutide moved below the obesity threshold, compared with 0% on placebo. More than 85% of the children entered the trial with class II or class III severe obesity, and both groups received lifestyle intervention. That raises a harder question than whether people are comfortable with kids taking GLP-1s: compared with what? A nearly 90% chance that obesity present at age 3 persists into the teen years? An approximately 80% chance that a teen with obesity carries it into adulthood? Another decade of stigma, bullying, and metabolic disease while we keep telling families to try harder? I’m unapologetically supportive of studying and treating severe childhood obesity. That does not mean ignoring long-term questions around growth, puberty, nutrition, lean mass, or what happens when treatment stops. It means recognizing that withholding treatment is also a decision with consequences. We also break down the new Structure Therapeutics data, including aleniglipron, an oral small-molecule GLP-1 that produced up to 16.2% mean weight loss at 72 weeks, and ACCG-2671, an experimental oral amylin/calcitonin agonist that produced 3.3% mean weight loss after a single dose, with some important tolerability caveats. Plus, we look at a preliminary semaglutide signal involving asthma and COPD, and one of the strangest Ozempic access stories of the week. Recorded from the Bask Health Studios. This episode is sponsored by VoaFit. Learn more about VoaFit here: https://voafit.com/otp This episode was filmed in the Bask Health Studios, visit: https://bask.health Follow On The Pen everywhere plus get special discounts: https://otplinks.com Read more at: https://obesity.news

This week on On The Pen, the GLP-1 story is moving in two very different directions. The Fifth Circuit handed FDA major wins in the fight over semaglutide and tirzepatide shortages, FDA updated its consumer guidance around compounded GLP-1 medications and multi-dose vials, and employers continue questioning whether they can afford obesity-drug coverage. At the same time, the medical case for these medications keeps getting stronger. We break down Mounjaro’s new cardiovascular indication and what preventing heart attacks and strokes could mean for the true long-term cost of GLP-1 treatment. We also look at 600,000 Medicare beneficiaries already enrolling in the $50 GLP-1 Bridge program, California’s effort to tackle affordability, the rapidly expanding oral GLP-1 market, and new real-world data on patients staying at lower doses of semaglutide and tirzepatide. The science is expanding. Access is contracting. And that may be the biggest challenge facing the next phase of the GLP-1 revolution. In this episode: • What the Fifth Circuit compounding decisions actually mean • FDA’s updated language around compounded GLP-1 vials • The 28-day multi-dose vial controversy • Mounjaro’s new cardiovascular indication • Why GLP-1s may reduce long-term healthcare costs • Employers dropping obesity-drug coverage • 600,000 people joining the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge • California’s push for lower GLP-1 prices • The oral GLP-1 race • New data on lower-dose semaglutide and tirzepatide Follow everything On The Pen: This episode is sponsored by VoaFit. https://www.voafit.com/otp This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always discuss medication and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.

GLP-1 access is getting tighter just as obesity treatment is becoming more effective, more affordable, and more important to public health. In this episode of the On The Pen Podcast, Dave Knapp breaks down two of the biggest GLP-1 stories of the week: why most states are opting out of the Trump administration’s new Medicaid obesity-drug coverage model, and why employers are preparing to cut GLP-1 coverage in 2027. We also dig into the growing conversation around GLP-1 microdosing after Real Housewives of Orange County star Emily Simpson described using a lower-frequency maintenance strategy after losing around 50 pounds. Could lower-dose or intermittent GLP-1 therapy eventually become a legitimate maintenance tool? Could it help lower long-term healthcare costs? And could earlier, lower-intensity treatment eventually become a form of prophylaxis against obesity-related disease? This episode covers Medicaid GLP-1 coverage, the BALANCE model, Zepbound coverage, Wegovy coverage, employer insurance changes, compounded GLP-1 access, GLP-1 microdosing, obesity maintenance, semaglutide, tirzepatide, metabolic disease prevention, obesity medicine, healthcare costs, and the future of GLP-1 treatment. If you take Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, compounded semaglutide, compounded tirzepatide, or simply follow the rapidly changing world of obesity medicine, this is a conversation you need to hear. Subscribe to On The Pen for breaking GLP-1 news, obesity medicine updates, access and insurance coverage news, new weight-loss drugs, clinical research, and patient advocacy. More from On The Pen: https://linktr.ee/manonthemounjaro #GLP1 #Ozempic #Wegovy #Mounjaro #Zepbound #Semaglutide #Tirzepatide #Microdosing #ObesityMedicine #WeightLoss #Medicaid #HealthInsurance #CompoundedGLP1 #Obesity #GLP1News

Could GLP-1 medications eventually cost just $40 to $50 per month? Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum thinks so, and if he’s right, it could completely change access to obesity treatment in America. But getting there may depend on something most patients have never heard of: the global peptide manufacturing supply chain. In this episode of The Weekly Dose from On The Pen, Dave Knapp, Man on the Mounjaro, breaks down one of the biggest weeks in GLP-1 and obesity medicine news, including the surprising role of Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturer WuXi AppTec, which Bloomberg described as having a “GLP-1 chokehold” while U.S. policymakers wrestle with reducing America’s dependence on Chinese biotechnology. We also dig into one of the strangest GLP-1 stories of the year. Amylyx Pharmaceuticals just reported positive Phase 3 results for avexitide, a GLP-1 receptor antagonist, meaning it actually BLOCKS GLP-1. The drug reduced serious hypoglycemic events by 55% in patients with post-bariatric hypoglycemia, a debilitating condition that can occur after gastric bypass surgery. Then we get personal. Online personality Clavicular recently described becoming apathetic while taking a high dose of retatrutide, renewing the conversation around GLP-1 medications, anhedonia, emotional blunting, dopamine and reward signaling. Dave has firsthand experience with anhedonia during GLP-1 treatment and previously discussed that experience as part of coverage on the Today Show. At what point does turning down food noise start turning down everything else? We also examine Serena Williams’ return to professional tennis while openly using Zepbound (tirzepatide) and the growing debate over whether GLP-1 medications could ever be considered performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports. Plus, new research suggests GLP-1 medications and significant weight loss may improve testosterone levels and fertility markers in men with obesity-related low testosterone, raising important questions about metabolic health, hypogonadism and when testosterone replacement therapy may or may not be appropriate. In this episode: 💉 Could Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound eventually cost $40 to $50 per month? 🇨🇳 Why WuXi AppTec and China matter to the global GLP-1 supply chain 💰 How manufacturing capacity could determine future GLP-1 prices 🧬 Amylyx avexitide Phase 3 results and the “anti-GLP-1” 🩸 Post-bariatric hypoglycemia after gastric bypass surgery 🧠 Retatrutide, anhedonia, apathy and emotional blunting ⚖️ Why anecdotes about GLP-1 side effects still need scientific context 🎾 Serena Williams, Zepbound and the performance-enhancing drug debate 💪 GLP-1 medications, weight loss and testosterone in men 🧬 Obesity, metabolic health, fertility and hypogonadism The goal here isn’t to cheerlead GLP-1 medications or scare patients away from them. It’s to understand what the headlines actually mean so patients can have better conversations with their healthcare providers. If GLP-1 medications were available for $40 to $50 cash per month without insurance, would that change your ability to stay on treatment? Let me know in the comments. And if you’ve experienced anhedonia or emotional flattening while taking a GLP-1 medication, particularly after increasing your dose, I’d be interested in hearing about your experience as well. The Weekly Dose is shot live in the Bask Health Studio. Learn more at bask.health Thanks to VoaFit and the MyLevel app for sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at voafit.com/otp 🔗 Follow On The Pen, find our newsletter, resources and all of my social channels: otplinks.com On The Pen covers breaking news and patient-focused reporting on obesity medicine, GLP-1 medications, Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, tirzepatide, semaglutide, retatrutide, compounded GLP-1 medications, obesity treatment, type 2 diabetes, metabolic health and the next generation of obesity medications.

Https://www.otplinks.com Based on the transcript flow, here’s a clean YouTube description with chapter timestamps. The transcript itself doesn’t include timecodes, so these are estimated from speaking pace and topic position. A GLP-1 Death_ Chrissy Metz & a Stunning Harvard Study.txt More than 200 deaths in the UK have now been reported in association with GLP-1 medications, including the heartbreaking death of a 19-year-old woman taking tirzepatide. But the headline does NOT tell the whole story. Today, we unpack what those 216 reports actually mean, what investigators found in the death of Josephine Nassar, and why adverse-event reports are very different from proving a medication caused a death. Plus, This Is Us star Chrissy Metz reveals she is using a GLP-1 to treat obesity, and I think what she did deserves a lot more respect than she’s getting. Then we dig into a stunning new Harvard working paper examining what happened to women’s employment and relationship outcomes after starting GLP-1 treatment, and Starbucks becomes the latest major employer to pull GLP-1 coverage for obesity. This is a BIG episode. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 The GLP-1 headlines you need to know 01:40 VoaFit / MyLevel 03:30 200+ GLP-1 deaths reported in the UK 04:25 The tragic death of 19-year-old Josephine Nassar 09:40 The hidden heart condition found after her death 12:30 Did tirzepatide contribute to her death? 15:35 What the UK’s 216 GLP-1 death reports actually mean 19:15 Pancreatitis and how regulators identify real safety signals 22:35 Chrissy Metz reveals she’s taking a GLP-1 24:35 Why Chrissy Metz’s decision to tell the truth was incredibly brave 27:05 Harvard’s stunning “Obesity Penalty” study 30:30 Starbucks drops GLP-1 coverage for obesity 33:10 What happens when employers stop paying for these drugs? 34:15 Final thoughts and your call to action If you’ve lost significant weight, I want to hear from you: Did people start treating you differently? And if your employer stopped covering your GLP-1, would you consider changing jobs to keep access to treatment? 👇 Drop your experience in the comments. 🔗 Keep up with everything On The Pen: linktr.ee/manonthemounjaro On The Pen brings you the stories and information that empower you to have better conversations with your doctor. Subscribe and join us live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11 AM Central / 12 PM Eastern. #GLP1 #Mounjaro #Zepbound #Ozempic #Wegovy #Tirzepatide #WeightLoss #Obesity #ChrissyMetz If you give me the actual final runtime of the uploaded video, I can tighten those timestamps much closer to the real chapter breaks.

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Novo Nordisk has spent years warning patients, regulators, lawmakers, and courts about the risks of synthetic semaglutide. Now, as patents begin to expire and China’s pharmaceutical industry becomes increasingly important, Novo may be staring at a very uncomfortable question: what happens if synthetic semaglutide suddenly makes sense when Novo is the one making it? In this week’s episode of The Weekly Dose, I dig into Novo’s long-running recombinant-versus-synthetic semaglutide argument, the lawsuits and FDA petitions built around it, and a clip from more than 16 months ago showing that we were covering this exact issue long before it became part of the mainstream conversation. Novo Warned Us About Synthetic Semaglutide_ Now This_.txt We also break down Pfizer’s decision to kill two clinical-stage obesity drugs, including an oral GLP-1 acquired through its $10 billion Metsera deal, the strange science behind GIP receptor antagonism, and why Pfizer’s remaining obesity pipeline still deserves attention. Plus, Wall Street is looking at Eli Lilly’s obesity-fueled rally and asking just how big this market can get. In this episode: 00:00 Novo’s synthetic semaglutide problem 02:00 VoaFit sponsor message 03:30 The 16-month-old On The Pen receipt 05:00 Recombinant vs. synthetic semaglutide 07:00 Novo’s FDA, legal, and political strategy 09:00 Pfizer kills two obesity drugs 11:00 What happened to Metsera’s oral pipeline? 13:00 The GIP agonist vs. antagonist paradox 15:00 Why China matters to Pfizer and Novo 17:00 Could Novo eventually make synthetic semaglutide? 18:30 What comes next for Lilly, Novo, and Pfizer The big question: If Novo Nordisk eventually launches its own synthetically manufactured semaglutide, does that change how you view the arguments it has made against compounded semaglutide over the last several years? Comment below. I want to know where you land. More obesity medicine news and analysis: OnThePen.com All my links, socials, and resources: linktr.ee/manonthemounjaro This episode is sponsored by VoaFit. Learn more at voafit.com/otp. #GLP1 #Semaglutide #Ozempic #Wegovy #NovoNordisk #CompoundedSemaglutide #ObesityMedicine #Pfizer #EliLilly #Mounjaro #Zepbound #Metsera

https://www.otplinks.comhttps://www.voafit.com/otpEpisode Referenced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8kaSoFCZ0c&t=41sThe retatrutide biologic fight is bigger than folks understand.This breakdown covers the current situation surrounding the retatrutide discussion. If you have been following the narrative, this episode provides context on why this biologic fight is garnering a lot of attention, and more importantly why it matters to every person watching this space. I first reported on these developments two years ago and offer insights gained from direct conversations with industry experts.We analyze the trajectory of this controversy to help you separate the signal from the noise. This episode serves as a vital update for anyone trying to track the retatrutide saga as it continues to evolve.Subscribe for weekly internet news breakdowns and let me know in the comments if you want more updates on this story as it develops.

Novo Nordisk just declared legal war on Eli Lilly as the battle over GLP-1 patients intensifies. But just because patients are being fought over does not mean they are being fought for. In this episode, we break down Novo Nordisk’s lawsuit accusing Eli Lilly of misleading patients through advertisements comparing Zepbound and Mounjaro with Wegovy and Ozempic. The fight is not simply about which medication produces more weight loss. It is about who controls the information patients receive, which evidence gets highlighted, and what gets left in the fine print. Then we examine STAT News’ investigation into LifeMD, a major telehealth company promoted by Novo as a legitimate pathway to GLP-1 treatment. Former employees alleged providers were pushed to process patients at breakneck speed, sometimes reviewing as many as 25 cases per hour, while refill queues, dose increases and patient messages piled up. LifeMD strongly disputes those allegations. But this cannot become another simplistic story about telehealth being bad. More than 100 million Americans are living with obesity, and only a small number of clinicians have dedicated obesity medicine expertise. The traditional healthcare system does not have enough specialists, appointment slots or geographic reach to provide every patient with an ideal, hour-long consultation. So how altruistic can we afford to be about access? Can we demand a perfect standard of care that most patients will never be able to reach? Or does scaling treatment too aggressively risk turning patients into transactions inside a prescription machine? Access cannot become a shield for negligence. But perfection cannot become another form of gatekeeping. The patient is being fought over. This episode asks what it would actually mean to fight for them. Learn more and follow On The Pen: https://www.otplinks.com This episode is sponsored by VoaFit, where I receive care for obesity and metabolic health. https://www.voafit.com/otp to learn more!

What happens when patients stop taking a GLP-1? New real-world data reveals that more than half eventually come back, and it may completely change the way we think about obesity treatment. In this week's On The Pen Podcast, we're breaking down one of the biggest shifts happening in obesity medicine. We dive into new research on GLP-1 persistence, the early challenges facing Medicare's obesity drug rollout, and why pharmaceutical companies are racing to solve the problems patients have been talking about for years. We also discuss the next generation of obesity therapies, including oral GLP-1s, implantable medications, muscle-preserving treatments, and why the future of obesity medicine may be less about losing more weight and more about helping patients stay healthy for the long term. In this episode: • Why patients who stop GLP-1 therapy often return • The first weeks of Medicare's obesity medication coverage • The future of oral GLP-1 medications • New implant technology from Novo Nordisk • Muscle-preserving obesity treatments • Why patient experience is becoming the next frontier in obesity medicine The goal of On The Pen has always been simple: translate complex obesity and diabetes news into information that helps you have better conversations with your doctor. 👇 What has been your biggest obstacle to staying on treatment? Insurance? Cost? Side effects? Tell us in the comments. 📰 Read more obesity medicine news: https://OnThePen.com 📩 Subscribe to my free newsletter: https://obesity.news 🔗 All my links: https://OTPLINKS.com 👍 If you found this helpful, please Like, Subscribe, and Share this episode with someone navigating obesity, diabetes, or GLP-1 treatment. #GLP1 #Obesity #WeightLoss #Zepbound #Mounjaro #Ozempic #Wegovy #ObesityMedicine #Type2Diabetes #OnThePen #Healthcare #Medicare #Podcast

What If We've Been Asking the Wrong Question? Patients say compounded GLP-1s are more effective than branded medications. Dave explains why the answer may have nothing to do with the drug itself, and everything to do with the patient experience. ALL OUR LINKS: http://www.otplinks.com HEADLINE SPONSOR LINK: https://www.voafit.com/otp ACCOMODATIONS BY: https://thepixellab.co

Millions of Medicare beneficiaries are about to gain access to GLP-1 weight loss medications for as little as $50 per month through the new Medicare Bridge Program, launching July 1. In this episode of On The Pen, Dave Knapp sits down with obesity medicine expert Angela Fitch to break down exactly who qualifies, how to apply, which medications are covered, and what this historic expansion of obesity treatment access means for patients across America. We discuss: ✅ Medicare Bridge Program eligibility requirements ✅ Zepbound, Wegovy, Foundayo (orforglipron), and GLP-1 coverage updates ✅ BMI and comorbidity qualifications ✅ Prediabetes, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, and obesity treatment access ✅ How Medicare patients can obtain GLP-1 medications ✅ Why obesity is finally being treated as a chronic disease ✅ The future of obesity medicine and Medicare coverage ✅ Concerns about access to care vs access to medication ✅ Muscle loss, nutrition, strength training, and healthy weight loss ✅ The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) This may be one of the most important developments in obesity treatment history, potentially opening the door for millions of Americans living with obesity, prediabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other weight-related conditions to receive evidence-based care. 📖 Read more obesity medicine news at Obesity.News 🔗 All links: linktr.ee/manonthemounjaro #GLP1 #Medicare #Zepbound #Wegovy #Obesity #WeightLoss #ObesityMedicine #MedicareBridgeProgram #Tirzepatide #Semaglutide #Foundayo #Orforglipron #Prediabetes #Type2Diabetes #WeightManagement #AngelaFitch #OnThePen #MedicareCoverage #GLP1News #ObesityTreatment #HealthcarePolicy #WeightLossMedication #ChronicDisease #Mounjaro #Retatrutide #Lilly #NovoNordisk #ObesityAdvocacy #GLP1Community #MedicarePatients

ADA 2026 delivered a massive wave of obesity and diabetes data, and in this episode of On The Pen, Dave Knapp (@manonthemounjaro) sits down with Jen (@JcanNuSH) ​⁠ to break down the molecules, clinical trials, weight loss results, and safety signals that could define the next generation of obesity and diabetes medicine. We dive deep into Survodutide, Mazdutide, UBT251, Berobenatide (MET-097), CagriSema, Zenagamtide (formerly Amycretin), Petrelintide, and so much more! From GLP-1/glucagon dual agonists to triple agonists targeting GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon, the obesity treatment landscape is becoming more competitive than ever. Which therapies showed the strongest weight loss? Which struggled with tolerability? And what do these results mean for patients living with obesity, type 2 diabetes, MASLD, sleep apnea, and other metabolic diseases? In this episode: ✅ Survodutide obesity and liver fat reduction data ✅ Mazdutide Phase 3 obesity and diabetes results ✅ UBT251 triple agonist weight loss data ✅ Berobenatide (MET-097) long-acting GLP-1 updates ✅ CagriSema diabetes and obesity trial results ✅ Zenagamtide (Amycretin) injectable and oral development ✅ Petrelintide amylin agonist info ✅ Future GLP-1, GIP, glucagon, and amylin therapies The future of obesity medicine is no longer just about who produces the most weight loss. It’s about matching the right therapy to the right patient, improving tolerability, and addressing metabolic disease beyond the number on the scale. Read more obesity medicine news at obesity.news 🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/manonthemounjaro #ADA2026 #Retatrutide #CagriSema #Survodutide #Mazdutide #UBT251 #Berobenatide #MET097 #Zenagamtide #Amycretin #Petrelintide #Inisepatide #Elcaglipron #GLP1 #ObesityMedicine #WeightLoss #Type2Diabetes #Zepbound #Mounjaro #Wegovy #GLP1News #ObesityResearch #DiabetesResearch #OnThePen

Dave sits down with nurse practitioner and former Retatrutide clinical trial participant David White to break down the biggest obesity headlines from the 2026 American Diabetes Association Conference. Together, they explore the latest data on Retatrutide's potential to deliver bariatric surgery-level weight loss, improve cardiometabolic health, and reshape the future of obesity and type 2 diabetes treatment. otplinks.com

Dave breaks down an unreported Expanded Access Pathway that Eli Lilly has quietly established for Retatrutide.

Does Eli Lilly already have the solve for obesity? In this episode of On the Pen — the Weekly Dose Podcast, host Dave Knapp breaks down a stunning comment from Lilly's Chief Scientific Officer Daniel Skowronski, who suggested that obesity could become a solved disease within just a few generations of innovation. What does that mean for the millions of patients still fighting for access to GLP-1 medications like Zepbound , Mounjaro , and tirzepatide ? And what is Lilly seeing in its pipeline that the rest of us can't? We dig into: Lilly's decision to stop disclosing its Phase 1 pipeline The Camurus fluid crystal technology deal and what it means for long-acting GLP-1s Eloralintide — Lilly's selective amylin agonist and potential dark horse in obesity medicine How eloralintide compares to Novo Nordisk's cagrilintide Why the future of obesity treatment is a toolbox, not a scoreboard The access crisis: prior authorizations, insurance exclusions, Medicare, and Medicaid coverage gaps Retatrutide , quintuple agonists, and what's coming out of ADA 2026 If you're on Zepbound , Wegovy , Ozempic , or any GLP-1 medication — or you're waiting for the next generation of obesity drugs — this episode is for you. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly updates on obesity medicine, GLP-1 news, and what it all means for patients. 💊 Sponsored by Shed — visit TryShed.com and use code OTP25 to save 25% on obesity care.

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This episode examines a serious case involving retatrutide, where an individual experienced an overdose due to improper medication administration. We discuss the critical importance of medication safety and patient safety, especially concerning prescription drugs.The discussion also touches upon a recent report of liver failure following the Foundayo launch, emphasizing the need for vigilant drug safety and thorough error analysis to prevent future incidents. https://www.otplinks.com 1. 🚨 The 40mg Retatrutide Overdose Case — 0:00:02 A 32-year-old self-administered gray market Retatrutide, forgot he'd dosed, injected again — hitting 40mg. The setup for the whole episode. 2. 🏥 What Actually Happened to Him (ER Visit & Why It Matters) — 0:05:02 Deep dive into the published medical case: severe diarrhea, dehydration, kidney danger, and the frightening ease with which it happened. 3. ⚠️ Gray Market GLP-1s: The Real Risk Nobody's Talking About — 0:07:20 How buying unregulated research peptides means guessing on purity, dose, and contents — and why that's terrifying at scale. 4. 💊 Orforglipron (Fondayo) & the Liver Failure Report — 0:13:00 (approx.) One month after Fonda's launch, a liver failure report emerges. The FDA's concerns, elevated liver enzymes in trials, and why Lilly scaled back from 45mg to 36mg in Phase 3. 5. 🔗 How These Two Stories Connect: Clinical Trials vs. the Real World — 0:16:31 The through-line of the episode: drugs behave differently outside controlled settings. Peptide influencers hawking research-grade OrforglprIon pills mid-fast is the canary in the coal mine. 6. 🚪 Compounding Access Is Being Squeezed — State Boards, Lawsuits & the Gray Market Funnel — 0:19:06 State medical boards in CA, RI, and KY pressuring doctors. As regulated access tightens, patients don't stop — they just shift to riskier sources. 7. 📱 Introducing the Pivot App: A GLP-1 Tracking Tool for Patients — 0:21:55 Interview with Shed's Chief Product Officer Kyler Ockey about the Pivot app — dose logging, daily habit tracking, weekly check-ins, and why patient self-tracking is critical to safe GLP-1 use.