Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are offering discounts to encourage more insurance coverage of the medicines, which carry price tags of over $1,000 a month.

One of the researchers described the circumstances that led to the discovery as “serendipity.” This year’s prestigious Lasker medical awards recognize a trio of scientists without whom Ozempic and other blockbuster weight-loss drugs might not exist.

"Weight loss medications are not one size fits all and patients should always discuss options with a trusted medical professional," one expert told Newsweek.

F ROM LOS ANGELES to London, weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic are reshaping culture as much as waistlines. Some Ozempic-takers have tiny appetites and dine at unusual hours to avoid spells of nausea.

Many people are doing an end-run around their doctor's office, reaching out to potentially unreliable sources that promise to set them up with Wegovy, Zepbound and other weight-loss drugs.

Research has shown there are plenty of perks of using a medication like Ozempic for weight loss. But, given that this is a drug, there are some potential downsides to consider, too. New research published in JAMA Network Open links GLP-1 receptor agonists—a class of medications that includes semaglutide medications like Ozempic and Wegovy—to a loss of bone density.

Half a century of advancements in biomedical science paved the way for today's powerful weight-loss drugs like Ozempic -- so what was that journey like for the scientists involved?Though Habener didn't realize its significance at the time,