Global Scans · Diet Drugs · Weekly Summary

• [New] Due to the widespread production of GLP-1 medications to treat weight loss, it is possible FDA may be making adjustments to its outlined risk-benefit framework for corresponding medical devices. JD Supra
• [New] Wider use of drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound - which target appetite and slow digestion - could be starting to show up in reported data. Fortune
• [New] With healthcare costs projected to increase 8.5% in 2026, GLP-1 demand continuing to rise, and the urgent need to improve workforce health and productivity, employers face mounting pressure to balance quality care and cost. Stock Titan
• [New] There are approximately 3,000 Ozempic lawsuits filed in U.S. courts and possible damages could be well $2 billion. Slepkow Law
• [New] Incentives in 2026 for GLP-1 obesity drugs production after patents expire, hoping local manufacturers will produce semaglutide domestically for export. IntuitionLabs
• [New] Treatment with once-weekly semaglutide was associated with a 23% reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, and death in people on Medicare with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease vs dulaglutide. NeurologyLive - Clinical Neurology News and Neurology E
• [New] Semaglutide, which recently had its label expanded in Europe as the first GLP-1 RA to reduce cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke, led to a 26% lower risk of death vs dulaglutide. NeurologyLive - Clinical Neurology News and Neurology E
• [New] Semaglutide (Ozempic; Novo Nordisk), an FDA-approved glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist used for weight loss and diabetes, outperformed dulaglutide, a competitor GLP-1 RA, in lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death. NeurologyLive - Clinical Neurology News and Neurology E
• [New] Semaglutide could become the first GLP-1 drug approved for Alzheimer's disease (AD) by late 2026. Lockton
• [New] Novo's semaglutide pill awaits an FDA decision that could see it launching in the US in early 2026, but is closely followed by Lilly's forthcoming pill orforglipron. The Business of Fashion
• [New] Success relies not only on making the right partnerships but minting the next generation of medicines, with GLP-1 weight loss pills launching as soon as early 2026. The Business of Fashion
• [New] Unless prices dramatically decline, Wegovy and other weight loss drugs could push Americans to spend $1 trillion per year on prescription drugs and have the potential to bankrupt Medicare, Medicaid, and our entire health care system. AJMC
• [New] Many organizations are taking action to spread awareness of compounded semaglutide and the potential for fake versions, including the World Health Organization, Novo Nordisk, news agencies, and health care experts. AJMC
• [New] GLP-1 drugs could be the medical innovation we have been waiting for to reshape mortality trends. The Actuary
• [New] Under an optimistic scenario in Swiss Re's study The future of metabolic health and weight loss drugs, GLP-1 medications could reduce all-cause mortality by as much as 6.4% by 2045. / USA The Actuary
• [New] Weight loss drugs such as Ozempic could substantially reduce mortality rates in the US in the coming decades. The Actuary
• [New] Within the next decade, up to 20% of eligible Americans could be using GLP-1 therapy. Coresight Research
• [New] Semaglutide is scheduled for US federal price negotiations in 2027 under a mechanism introduced by the Biden administration. Chemistry World

Last updated: 20 October 2025