GLP-1 drugs are entering a new chapter

Science Quickly

Scientific American

Science

4.4 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 18 March 2026

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of Science Quickly, Scientific American’s associate health editor Lauren Young joins host Kendra Pierre-Louis to talk about how the story of GLP‑1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro is evolving. We trace GLP-1s’ origins as type 2 diabetes treatments, their rise as blockbuster weight‑loss medications and the ensuing complications—including the expanding market for compounded drugs. And we look at how the landscape has only grown more complex as researchers explore surprising potential uses for GLP‑1s, from addiction treatment to cardiovascular benefits, even as new concerns emerge about long‑term effects. Recommended Reading: Compound weight-loss drugs are everywhere. The FDA is cracking down People who took GLP-1 drugs had lower risk of all kinds of drug and alcohol addiction E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Now, are all the traitors present?
0:02.0	Let's get started, shall we?
0:04.0	From rags to riches.
0:06.0	I'm so sick of this.
0:07.0	Working like a dog and being treated worse.
0:09.0	Yorkshire to New York.
0:10.0	Poor climbers, you and me.
0:12.0	A life dedicated to revenge.
0:14.0	Let's make this an occasion to remember.
0:17.0	A Woman of Substance on Channel 4.
0:19.0	Stream now.
0:20.0	... A Woman of Substance on Channel 4, stream now.
0:37.5	For Scientific American Science quickly, I'm Kendra Pier Lewis, in for Rachel Feldman.
0:47.3	In early March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozumpik and Mugovie, saying the company had failed to disclose
0:52.0	potential risks associated with taking these drugs.
0:55.4	The agency alleged that Novo Nordisk failed to prop a report and or follow up on three deaths of individuals who were taking somaglite,
1:04.1	the key ingredient in Ozumpic and Mogovi.
1:06.8	The drugs are part of a broader class of medicine, known as GLP-1s, that have grown wildly popular
1:12.3	for everything from type 2 diabetes to weight loss, and are increasingly seen as having potential
1:17.6	benefits far beyond those two conditions.
1:21.0	The popularity of these drugs has led to a sea of GLP1 offerings flooding the market.
1:25.9	Not all of them FDA approved. We sat down with Lauren Young,
	...

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