GLP-1 Pills Are On The Way. Here's What To Know

Short Wave

NPR

Science, Life Sciences, Daily News, Astronomy, News, Nature

4.7 • 6K Ratings

🗓️ 19 December 2025

⏱️ 13 minutes

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Summary

You may have heard of Ozempic, and other GLP-1 drugs. They’re everywhere. And they typically involve weekly injections — which can have a sticker price of over a thousand dollars a month. And insurance coverage has been tricky to navigate for a lot of people. That’s why there’s a lot of excitement around a new pill form of the drug. NPR Pharmaceuticals Correspondent Sydney Lupkin chats about these experimental pills with host Emily Kwong.

Check out more of NPR’s coverage about GLP-1s.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Dean Regis here, astronomer and host of Looking Up.
0:03.6	I journey to the far reaches of the universe, hearing from scientists, astronauts, and geeky celebs along the way.
0:10.8	We cover everything from black holes to the latest in science fiction.
0:14.7	Listen now to the Looking Up podcast from the NPR Network and Cincinnati Public Radio.
0:20.2	You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.
0:25.6	Hey, shortwavers. I am here with NPR Pharmaceuticals correspondent Sidney Lupkin today
0:30.5	to talk about something that has really changed the game when it comes to weight loss,
0:35.0	which is injections.
0:36.7	When did this all start? I mean, it all started with celebrity weight loss, which is injections. When did this all start?
0:38.1	I mean, it all started with celebrity weight loss.
0:41.3	One hot topic everyone in Hollywood still seems to be talking about is OZMPIC.
0:45.8	You're on OZMPIC, or one of those things.
0:48.1	Or Wagovi or whatever.
0:49.3	Or you got work time.
0:50.4	Like, just stop.
0:51.6	Then it wasn't a secret anymore.
1:03.2	Yeah, I remember even Serena Williams came forward as like a spokesperson for the telehealth company Rose GLP1 injections. I knew my body was missing something it needed. For me, the answer was GLP1s. Now Now, these weight loss injections, called GLP-1s, are kind of everywhere.
1:17.4	Examples include OZempic, which is kind of the Kleenex of GLP-1 drugs, but is actually
1:23.3	officially for type 2 diabetes and Wagovi.
1:26.8	These are drugs you inject under the skin once a week.
1:30.0	And these injectable drugs have become a valuable tool for millions of people trying to get to a
1:35.2	healthier weight. We're talking people who've never been able to lose weight and keep it off,
	...

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