Welcome back to Ozempic Weight Loss Unlocked, the show where we break down the latest developments in weight loss medications and what they mean for your health. I'm your host, and today we're diving into some exciting new data and industry shifts that you need to hear about.

Let's start with what's happening right now in the weight loss medication world. A recent systematic review of over forty thousand adults found that semaglutide and tirzepatide significantly outperform older medications in achieving meaningful weight loss. In clinical trials, semaglutide resulted in a fourteen point nine percent reduction in body weight over sixty eight weeks, while tirzepatide led to a twenty point nine percent reduction. That's substantial progress compared to earlier options like liraglutide, which delivered only four to five percent weight loss.

But here's something important our listeners need to understand: clinical trial results don't always match real world outcomes. When researchers looked at actual users after one year, those taking semaglutide lost seven point seven percent of their body weight, and those on tirzepatide lost twelve point four percent. Why the difference? About fifty percent of patients discontinued treatment during that first year, and eighty percent took lower dosages than prescribed.

Speaking of usage, the numbers are staggering. Approximately one in eight American adults, or around twelve percent, have used a glucagon like peptide one medication at some point. Among people diagnosed with diabetes, that number jumps to forty three percent. The average age of users in the United Kingdom is forty four years old, with people aged forty to fifty nine making up more than half of all users.

Now let's talk money, because cost remains a major barrier. The monthly out of pocket cost for Ozempic in the United States can reach as high as twelve hundred dollars for uninsured individuals. This pricing has created a competitive marketplace. In November twenty twenty five, Pfizer won a bidding war with Novo Nordisk to acquire obesity drug developer Metsera, giving them injectable and oral glucagon like peptide one candidates expected to enter clinical trials soon.

But there's even more competition coming. Research indicates that several pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca, Zealand Pharma, Roche, and Amgen are expected to enter the glucagon like peptide one market with multiple drug launches planned between twenty twenty seven and twenty thirty two.

Interestingly, a new alternative is emerging. A medication called eloralintide, which targets a different hormone called amylin instead of glucagon like peptide one, showed promising results. In a phase two clinical trial with two hundred sixty three participants, those receiving eloralintide experienced average weight loss between nine and twenty percent after forty eight weeks, compared to only zero point four percent in the placebo group. Up to ninety percent of participants on eloralintide improved by at least one body mass index category, and the study showed improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors including waist circumference, blood pressure, and blood sugar management.

Our listeners should know that not everyone responds equally to these medications. Past studies show that as much as seventeen percent of glucagon like peptide one users may be non responders to the medication. This is why having multiple treatment options with different mechanisms of action matters so much.

One final note worth mentioning: the rise in glucagon like peptide one use has sparked increased demand for cosmetic surgeries to remove loose skin following significant weight loss. Procedures like arm lifts, thigh lifts, and tummy tucks have all seen increased demand.

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