On The Pen GLP-1 News

Eli Lilly’s fight over retatrutide may be about much more than one obesity drug.I’ve been covering retatrutide since early 2023, and since late 2024 I’ve been closely following the legal fight over whether reta should be treated as a biologic. From the beginning, I’ve argued that this case could have consequences far beyond retatrutide itself.In this episode, I break down the growing unauthorized retatrutide market, the serious adverse events and death reports now entering the conversation, Lilly’s repeated legal actions against sellers, the restricted Seventh Circuit filings, and new context I’ve heard from someone connected to senior HHS policy discussions.The biggest question is no longer simply what happens to retatrutide. It’s whether this case could help shape how future peptide medicines are classified, regulated, and protected.I’m continuing to track the Seventh Circuit docket and work on the restricted filings. If those documents become available or I can independently confirm what is in them, subscribers at obesity.news and OnThePen.com will hear about it first.This episode is brought to you by VoaFit and Trilogiii Daily Essentials. Check the links in the show notes, and use code OTP10 for Trilogiii.Visit Trilogiii: https://triii.life/tiers/daily-essentials?utm_source=onthepen&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=dave_knappVisit Voafit: https://www.voafit.com/otp

This week on On The Pen, The Weekly Dose, we break down one of the biggest weeks in obesity medicine coming out of EASD 2026.Eli Lilly says Zepbound may still outperform Wegovy 7.2 mg, even after Novo Nordisk tripled the familiar maintenance dose, but the details are more complicated than the headline. We dig into the difference between the treatment-regimen and efficacy estimands, and why this was not a true head-to-head trial.We also cover Novo Nordisk’s $2.6 billion bet on a potential once-weekly oral GLP-1/GIP, new Foundayo data against high-dose oral semaglutide, Viatris and Mylan’s renewed patent fight over the future of generic Wegovy, and the full Phase 3 retatrutide publication in the New England Journal of Medicine.Plus, after weeks of concern over GLP-1 medications and NAION-related vision loss, we look at one practical thing patients may be able to do right now to better understand their own baseline risk.This episode is about more than who “wins” between Lilly and Novo. It is about what the data actually says, where the next generation of obesity treatment is headed, and what all of this means for patients trying to make informed decisions with their doctors.Covered in this episode: Zepbound vs. Wegovy 7.2 mg, retatrutide TRIUMPH-1 Phase 3 data, Foundayo/orforglipron, oral semaglutide, once-weekly oral GLP-1s, generic Wegovy patent litigation, NAION, GLP-1 vision risk, EASD 2026, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Viatris and Mylan.Subscribe for breaking GLP-1, obesity, diabetes and metabolic-health news, explained from the patient perspective.Get Exclusive OTP Savings and Resrouces:Https://www.otplinks.comGet Breaking Obesity Medicine News:HTTPS://www.onthepen.com

Lilly just gave us a glimpse of what could come after today’s GLP-1s, and it may not be about simply pushing patients to stronger drugs and higher doses.This week on On The Pen: The Weekly Dose, we break down Lilly’s surprising early data combining just 5 mg of tirzepatide with 3 mg of eloralintide, producing roughly 17% weight loss in only 16 weeks. Could combinations like this eventually approach retatrutide-level efficacy with better tolerability? And when retatrutide reaches the real world, how many patients will actually need or tolerate the higher doses responsible for its biggest clinical-trial numbers?We’re also digging into the bigger stories shaping the future of obesity medicine, including new research suggesting semaglutide may influence aging beyond calorie restriction in mice, the emerging race to preserve lean mass during GLP-1 weight loss, apitegromab’s eye-popping price, Lilly’s legal battle over retatrutide’s classification, the underground market already selling unapproved Reta, and the latest development in Lilly’s lawsuit against Mochi.The science is getting better incredibly quickly. The bigger question may be whether we can deliver enough efficacy, tolerability and muscle preservation at a price patients can actually access.👍 Like, comment and subscribe if you want patient-centered GLP-1 news without the pharmaceutical press-release filter. If you listen to the podcast on Apple or Spotify, leaving a rating and review is one of the best ways to help more people find On The Pen.🔗 Everything On The Pen: linktr.ee/manonthemounjaro⁠On The Pen: Empowering you to have better conversations with your doctor.#GLP1 #Zepbound #Mounjaro #Retatrutide #Tirzepatide #Eloralintide #WeightLoss #ObesityMedicine #Ozempic #Wegovy

This week on On The Pen, the GLP-1 story is moving in two very different directions.The Fifth Circuit handed FDA major wins in the fight over semaglutide and tirzepatide shortages, FDA updated its consumer guidance around compounded GLP-1 medications and multi-dose vials, and employers continue questioning whether they can afford obesity-drug coverage.At the same time, the medical case for these medications keeps getting stronger.We break down Mounjaro’s new cardiovascular indication and what preventing heart attacks and strokes could mean for the true long-term cost of GLP-1 treatment. We also look at 600,000 Medicare beneficiaries already enrolling in the $50 GLP-1 Bridge program, California’s effort to tackle affordability, the rapidly expanding oral GLP-1 market, and new real-world data on patients staying at lower doses of semaglutide and tirzepatide.The science is expanding. Access is contracting.And that may be the biggest challenge facing the next phase of the GLP-1 revolution.In this episode:• What the Fifth Circuit compounding decisions actually mean• FDA’s updated language around compounded GLP-1 vials• The 28-day multi-dose vial controversy• Mounjaro’s new cardiovascular indication• Why GLP-1s may reduce long-term healthcare costs• Employers dropping obesity-drug coverage• 600,000 people joining the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge• California’s push for lower GLP-1 prices• The oral GLP-1 race• New data on lower-dose semaglutide and tirzepatideFollow everything On The Pen:This episode is sponsored by VoaFit.https://www.voafit.com/otpThis content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always discuss medication and treatment decisions with a qualified healthcare professional.

Could GLP-1 medications eventually cost just $40 to $50 per month? Hims & Hers CEO Andrew Dudum thinks so, and if he’s right, it could completely change access to obesity treatment in America.But getting there may depend on something most patients have never heard of: the global peptide manufacturing supply chain.In this episode of The Weekly Dose from On The Pen, Dave Knapp, Man on the Mounjaro, breaks down one of the biggest weeks in GLP-1 and obesity medicine news, including the surprising role of Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturer WuXi AppTec, which Bloomberg described as having a “GLP-1 chokehold” while U.S. policymakers wrestle with reducing America’s dependence on Chinese biotechnology.We also dig into one of the strangest GLP-1 stories of the year. Amylyx Pharmaceuticals just reported positive Phase 3 results for avexitide, a GLP-1 receptor antagonist, meaning it actually BLOCKS GLP-1. The drug reduced serious hypoglycemic events by 55% in patients with post-bariatric hypoglycemia, a debilitating condition that can occur after gastric bypass surgery.Then we get personal.Online personality Clavicular recently described becoming apathetic while taking a high dose of retatrutide, renewing the conversation around GLP-1 medications, anhedonia, emotional blunting, dopamine and reward signaling. Dave has firsthand experience with anhedonia during GLP-1 treatment and previously discussed that experience as part of coverage on the Today Show.At what point does turning down food noise start turning down everything else?We also examine Serena Williams’ return to professional tennis while openly using Zepbound (tirzepatide) and the growing debate over whether GLP-1 medications could ever be considered performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports.Plus, new research suggests GLP-1 medications and significant weight loss may improve testosterone levels and fertility markers in men with obesity-related low testosterone, raising important questions about metabolic health, hypogonadism and when testosterone replacement therapy may or may not be appropriate.In this episode:💉 Could Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound eventually cost $40 to $50 per month?🇨🇳 Why WuXi AppTec and China matter to the global GLP-1 supply chain💰 How manufacturing capacity could determine future GLP-1 prices🧬 Amylyx avexitide Phase 3 results and the “anti-GLP-1”🩸 Post-bariatric hypoglycemia after gastric bypass surgery🧠 Retatrutide, anhedonia, apathy and emotional blunting⚖️ Why anecdotes about GLP-1 side effects still need scientific context🎾 Serena Williams, Zepbound and the performance-enhancing drug debate💪 GLP-1 medications, weight loss and testosterone in men🧬 Obesity, metabolic health, fertility and hypogonadismThe goal here isn’t to cheerlead GLP-1 medications or scare patients away from them. It’s to understand what the headlines actually mean so patients can have better conversations with their healthcare providers.If GLP-1 medications were available for $40 to $50 cash per month without insurance, would that change your ability to stay on treatment? Let me know in the comments.And if you’ve experienced anhedonia or emotional flattening while taking a GLP-1 medication, particularly after increasing your dose, I’d be interested in hearing about your experience as well.The Weekly Dose is shot live in the Bask Health Studio. Learn more at bask.healthThanks to VoaFit and the MyLevel app for sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at voafit.com/otp🔗 Follow On The Pen, find our newsletter, resources and all of my social channels: otplinks.comOn The Pen covers breaking news and patient-focused reporting on obesity medicine, GLP-1 medications, Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, tirzepatide, semaglutide, retatrutide, compounded GLP-1 medications, obesity treatment, type 2 diabetes, metabolic health and the next generation of obesity medications.

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https://www.otplinks.comhttps://www.voafit.com/otpEpisode Referenced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8kaSoFCZ0c&t=41sThe retatrutide biologic fight is bigger than folks understand.This breakdown covers the current situation surrounding the retatrutide discussion. If you have been following the narrative, this episode provides context on why this biologic fight is garnering a lot of attention, and more importantly why it matters to every person watching this space. I first reported on these developments two years ago and offer insights gained from direct conversations with industry experts.We analyze the trajectory of this controversy to help you separate the signal from the noise. This episode serves as a vital update for anyone trying to track the retatrutide saga as it continues to evolve.Subscribe for weekly internet news breakdowns and let me know in the comments if you want more updates on this story as it develops.

What happens when patients stop taking a GLP-1? New real-world data reveals that more than half eventually come back, and it may completely change the way we think about obesity treatment.In this week's On The Pen Podcast, we're breaking down one of the biggest shifts happening in obesity medicine. We dive into new research on GLP-1 persistence, the early challenges facing Medicare's obesity drug rollout, and why pharmaceutical companies are racing to solve the problems patients have been talking about for years.We also discuss the next generation of obesity therapies, including oral GLP-1s, implantable medications, muscle-preserving treatments, and why the future of obesity medicine may be less about losing more weight and more about helping patients stay healthy for the long term.In this episode:• Why patients who stop GLP-1 therapy often return• The first weeks of Medicare's obesity medication coverage• The future of oral GLP-1 medications• New implant technology from Novo Nordisk• Muscle-preserving obesity treatments• Why patient experience is becoming the next frontier in obesity medicineThe goal of On The Pen has always been simple: translate complex obesity and diabetes news into information that helps you have better conversations with your doctor.👇 What has been your biggest obstacle to staying on treatment? Insurance? Cost? Side effects? Tell us in the comments.📰 Read more obesity medicine news:https://OnThePen.com📩 Subscribe to my free newsletter:https://obesity.news🔗 All my links:https://OTPLINKS.com👍 If you found this helpful, please Like, Subscribe, and Share this episode with someone navigating obesity, diabetes, or GLP-1 treatment.#GLP1 #Obesity #WeightLoss #Zepbound #Mounjaro #Ozempic #Wegovy #ObesityMedicine #Type2Diabetes #OnThePen #Healthcare #Medicare #Podcast

Millions of Medicare beneficiaries are about to gain access to GLP-1 weight loss medications for as little as $50 per month through the new Medicare Bridge Program, launching July 1. In this episode of On The Pen, Dave Knapp sits down with obesity medicine expert Angela Fitch to break down exactly who qualifies, how to apply, which medications are covered, and what this historic expansion of obesity treatment access means for patients across America.We discuss:✅ Medicare Bridge Program eligibility requirements✅ Zepbound, Wegovy, Foundayo (orforglipron), and GLP-1 coverage updates✅ BMI and comorbidity qualifications✅ Prediabetes, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, and obesity treatment access✅ How Medicare patients can obtain GLP-1 medications✅ Why obesity is finally being treated as a chronic disease✅ The future of obesity medicine and Medicare coverage✅ Concerns about access to care vs access to medication✅ Muscle loss, nutrition, strength training, and healthy weight loss✅ The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA)This may be one of the most important developments in obesity treatment history, potentially opening the door for millions of Americans living with obesity, prediabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other weight-related conditions to receive evidence-based care.📖 Read more obesity medicine news at Obesity.News🔗 All links: linktr.ee/manonthemounjaro#GLP1 #Medicare #Zepbound #Wegovy #Obesity #WeightLoss #ObesityMedicine #MedicareBridgeProgram #Tirzepatide #Semaglutide #Foundayo #Orforglipron #Prediabetes #Type2Diabetes #WeightManagement #AngelaFitch #OnThePen #MedicareCoverage #GLP1News #ObesityTreatment #HealthcarePolicy #WeightLossMedication #ChronicDisease #Mounjaro #Retatrutide #Lilly #NovoNordisk #ObesityAdvocacy #GLP1Community #MedicarePatients

Dave sits down with nurse practitioner and former Retatrutide clinical trial participant David White to break down the biggest obesity headlines from the 2026 American Diabetes Association Conference. Together, they explore the latest data on Retatrutide's potential to deliver bariatric surgery-level weight loss, improve cardiometabolic health, and reshape the future of obesity and type 2 diabetes treatment.otplinks.com

Does Eli Lilly already have the solve for obesity? In this episode of On the Pen — the Weekly Dose Podcast, host Dave Knapp breaks down a stunning comment from Lilly's Chief Scientific Officer Daniel Skowronski, who suggested that obesity could become a solved disease within just a few generations of innovation.What does that mean for the millions of patients still fighting for access to GLP-1 medications like Zepbound, Mounjaro, and tirzepatide? And what is Lilly seeing in its pipeline that the rest of us can't?We dig into:Lilly's decision to stop disclosing its Phase 1 pipelineThe Camurus fluid crystal technology deal and what it means for long-acting GLP-1sEloralintide — Lilly's selective amylin agonist and potential dark horse in obesity medicineHow eloralintide compares to Novo Nordisk's cagrilintideWhy the future of obesity treatment is a toolbox, not a scoreboardThe access crisis: prior authorizations, insurance exclusions, Medicare, and Medicaid coverage gapsRetatrutide, quintuple agonists, and what's coming out of ADA 2026If you're on Zepbound, Wegovy, Ozempic, or any GLP-1 medication — or you're waiting for the next generation of obesity drugs — this episode is for you.🔔 Subscribe for weekly updates on obesity medicine, GLP-1 news, and what it all means for patients.💊 Sponsored by Shed — visit TryShed.com and use code OTP25 to save 25% on obesity care.

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This episode examines a serious case involving retatrutide, where an individual experienced an overdose due to improper medication administration. We discuss the critical importance of medication safety and patient safety, especially concerning prescription drugs.The discussion also touches upon a recent report of liver failure following the Foundayo launch, emphasizing the need for vigilant drug safety and thorough error analysis to prevent future incidents.https://www.otplinks.com1. 🚨 The 40mg Retatrutide Overdose Case — 0:00:02A 32-year-old self-administered gray market Retatrutide, forgot he'd dosed, injected again — hitting 40mg. The setup for the whole episode.2. 🏥 What Actually Happened to Him (ER Visit & Why It Matters) — 0:05:02Deep dive into the published medical case: severe diarrhea, dehydration, kidney danger, and the frightening ease with which it happened.3. ⚠️ Gray Market GLP-1s: The Real Risk Nobody's Talking About — 0:07:20How buying unregulated research peptides means guessing on purity, dose, and contents — and why that's terrifying at scale.4. 💊 Orforglipron (Fondayo) & the Liver Failure Report — 0:13:00 (approx.)One month after Fonda's launch, a liver failure report emerges. The FDA's concerns, elevated liver enzymes in trials, and why Lilly scaled back from 45mg to 36mg in Phase 3.5. 🔗 How These Two Stories Connect: Clinical Trials vs. the Real World — 0:16:31The through-line of the episode: drugs behave differently outside controlled settings. Peptide influencers hawking research-grade OrforglprIon pills mid-fast is the canary in the coal mine.6. 🚪 Compounding Access Is Being Squeezed — State Boards, Lawsuits & the Gray Market Funnel — 0:19:06State medical boards in CA, RI, and KY pressuring doctors. As regulated access tightens, patients don't stop — they just shift to riskier sources.7. 📱 Introducing the Pivot App: A GLP-1 Tracking Tool for Patients — 0:21:55Interview with Shed's Chief Product Officer Kyler Ockey about the Pivot app — dose logging, daily habit tracking, weekly check-ins, and why patient self-tracking is critical to safe GLP-1 use.