Approximately 15.5 million Americans have been or currently are on injectable diabetes or weight-loss medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, including the popular name brands Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound.

Among over 125,000 patients, 53.6% discontinued their GLP-1 receptor agonist by 1 year, and these rates were significantly higher for patients without versus with type 2 diabetes (64.8% vs 46.5%), reported Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues.

In the first half of 2025, Ozempic developer Novo Nordisk in Bagsværd, Denmark, expects results from a second phase III trial of its experimental drug CagriSema — a combination of semaglutide and a medicine called cagrilintide. People on CagriSema lost about 23% of their body weight in a 68-week study, outperforming both drugs when taken alone.

New research uncovers hidden risks and surprising benefits of weight loss drugs like Ozempic, reshaping how we see these popular medications.

Eli Lilly forecast annual profit largely above Wall Street estimates on Thursday, providing some relief to investors after another quarter of sales miss for its popular diabetes and weight-loss treatments.