Nearly half of online pharmacies that sell semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — are doing so illegally, posing safety risks for consumers, according to a study published Aug. 2 in JAMA Network Open. 

There has been an uptick in patients being treated for eating disorders who are abusing GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy, according to research published Aug. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology.

A GLP-1 medication might protect against dementia, according to researchers of a phase 2 trial that found liraglutide could slow cognitive decline by 18% after one year of use. 

Up to 30% of GLP-1 medications are acquired by patients through compounding pharmacies instead of the weight loss drugs' manufacturers like Novo Nordisk or Eli Lilly, according to KFF Health News.

In recent years, more prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs were written to treat obesity than Type 2 diabetes, adding to accessibility and shortage concerns, according to a study published July 23 in Annals of Internal Medicine. 

Whether a GLP-1 medication is approved for diabetes or chronic weight management, declaring one therapy as "best" for weight loss is tricky. 

A new study from researchers at Oxford University in England has found that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy, may be tied to a lower risk of cognitive issues, including dementia.

Counterfeit Ozempic presentations, known as "faux-zempic," are on the rise in legal and illegal supply chains, The New York Times reported July 12. 

Citing high costs, payers are favoring bariatric surgeries over Wegovy and similar medications, according to an NYU Langone expert. It's unclear if insurers' policies can quell the booming popularity of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, though. 

Pfizer's oral GLP-1 drug candidate, danuglipron, has shown promising results that support daily dosing, the company said July 11. 

A week after a study connected Ozempic and Wegovy to an eye condition that can cause partial blindness, two ophthalmology organizations said they have "been aware of other vision changes for some time."

Using Mounjaro for one year led to more weight loss than Ozempic did in a study of 18,386 patients, according to the results published July 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy may lower the risk of developing certain obesity-related cancers, according to a new study from researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. 

A new study suggests patients taking semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — may be at higher risk of an eye condition that can cause blindness. However, study authors and experts told NBC News the findings only show an association, and that additional research is needed to confirm a causal link. 

The world of GLP-1s is quickly evolving with new clinical research, insurance coverage decisions, and emerging products on the market.

President Joe Biden, who has challenged the pharmaceutical industry for decades, joined Sen. Bernie Sanders' clash with Novo Nordisk in a July 2 op-ed published in USA Today. 

Big costs require big decisions, as illustrated by how GLP-1s are causing leaders of hospital employee health plans to rethink their coverage plans. 

GLP-1s, the new blockbuster drug class, has taken off in popularity as a powerful treatment for patients with obesity and Type 2 diabetes, but they've driven a drastic increase in plastic surgery procedures, too, Bloomberg reported June 25.

Healthcare is in its GLP-1 era. Following Novo Nordisk's blockbuster success with Ozempic and Wegovy, many drugmakers are focused on developing new iterations of weight loss drugs that could come with fewer side effects and drive down costs. 

The prevalence of face-lifts increased 8% between 2022 and 2023, a growth that the American Society of Plastic Surgeons links to Ozempic and Wegovy, according to a June 25 report from the organization.