Weight loss drugs such as Ozempic work but scientists don’t understand why according to the NY Times.

Ozempic, by Novo Nordisk a popular diabetes drug became a sensation as it was discovered patients also lost weight while they stayed on the drug.   Also known as Wegovy, Mounjaro, Rybelsus and others that are coming soon, the manufacturer suggests that the drug also may protect against certain  heart problems and have other health effects as well

Insurance companies, however, will deny the use of the drug for weight loss even though it has proven benefits that can give protection against many obesity diseases.   The drug is also quite expensive although outside the country it costs a tenth of what it costs in the USA.   The current supply shortages of the drug are a result of its popularity.

The drug Semaglutide, the chemical compound that is Wegovy and Oxempic as well as others was discovered over trial and error for many years and doctors do not understand why it is so effective for weight loss.   The mechanisms behind why it works are a mystery.

Check out this fascinating article from the NY Times

We Know Where New Weight Loss Drugs Came From, but Not Why They Work

The empty auditoriums, Gila monsters, resistant pharmaceutical executives and enigmas that led to Ozempic and other drugs that may change how society thinks about obesity.

By Gina Kolata Aug. 17, 2023

Every so often a drug comes along that has the potential to change the world. Medical specialists say the latest to offer that possibility are the new drugs that treat obesity — Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and more that may soon be coming onto the market.

It’s early, but nothing like these drugs has existed before.

“Game changers,” said Jonathan Engel, a historian of medicine and health care policy at Baruch College in New York.

Obesity affects nearly 42 percent of American adults, and yet, Dr. Engel said, “we have been powerless.” Research into potential medical treatments for the condition led to failures. Drug companies lost interest, with many executives thinking — like most doctors and members of the public — that obesity was a moral failing and not a chronic disease.

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