Global Scans · Diet Drugs · Weekly Summary

• [New] The FDA added a new indication for Wegovy in 2025 for reducing the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in adults with cardiovascular disease who are also obese or overweight. pharmexec
• [New] GLP-1 drugs reshape benefit decisions: Estimates suggest that 20-50 million U.S. adults could be using GLP-1s within the next decade, with global use projected to reach 40 million by 2029. CHRO Association
• [New] Semaglutide significantly reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events among adults with overweight or obesity, even in the absence of diabetes. Forbes
• [New] The push for a standalone MDL follows research from Harvard and JAMA Ophthalmology indicating that GLP-1 drugs may increase the risk of NAION up to sevenfold. TorHoerman Law, LLC
• [New] Plaintiffs in the Ozempic MDL allege that Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly under-disclosed the risk of prolonged gastric paralysis and NAION, while over-promoting aesthetic benefits. Lawyer Monthly
• [New] Under optimistic scenarios, new research from Swiss Re projects that GLP-1 medications could reduce all-cause mortality in the US by as much as 6.4% by 2045. ELSA - European Life Settlement Association
• [New] Wegovy, which unlike Ozempic has been FDA-approved for weight loss, could be used to reduce the risk of heart attacks and heart strokes in certain patients. Yahoo News
• [New] Both Ozempic and Victoza have an FDA boxed warning about a potential risk of thyroid C-cell tumours, including medullary thyroid carcinoma. Noom: Lose weight and keep it off.
• [New] Lilly plans to file for FDA approval by year-end 2025, positioning orforglipron as a potential game-changer in obesity treatment if approved. Peerlist
• [New] Nearly 18 million Americans are expected to be taking versions of GLP-1 drugs by 2029. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Due to the widespread production of GLP-1 medications to treat weight loss, it is possible FDA may be making adjustments to its outlined risk-benefit framework for corresponding medical devices. JD Supra
• [New] Wider use of drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound - which target appetite and slow digestion - could be starting to show up in reported data. Fortune
• [New] With healthcare costs projected to increase 8.5% in 2026, GLP-1 demand continuing to rise, and the urgent need to improve workforce health and productivity, employers face mounting pressure to balance quality care and cost. Stock Titan
• [New] There are approximately 3,000 Ozempic lawsuits filed in U.S. courts and possible damages could be well $2 billion. Slepkow Law
• [New] Incentives in 2026 for GLP-1 obesity drugs production after patents expire, hoping local manufacturers will produce semaglutide domestically for export. IntuitionLabs
• [New] Treatment with once-weekly semaglutide was associated with a 23% reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, and death in people on Medicare with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease vs dulaglutide. NeurologyLive - Clinical Neurology News and Neurology E
• [New] Semaglutide, which recently had its label expanded in Europe as the first GLP-1 RA to reduce cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke, led to a 26% lower risk of death vs dulaglutide. NeurologyLive - Clinical Neurology News and Neurology E
• [New] Semaglutide (Ozempic; Novo Nordisk), an FDA-approved glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist used for weight loss and diabetes, outperformed dulaglutide, a competitor GLP-1 RA, in lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death. NeurologyLive - Clinical Neurology News and Neurology E
• [New] Semaglutide could become the first GLP-1 drug approved for Alzheimer's disease (AD) by late 2026. Lockton
• [New] Novo's semaglutide pill awaits an FDA decision that could see it launching in the US in early 2026, but is closely followed by Lilly's forthcoming pill orforglipron. The Business of Fashion
• [New] Success relies not only on making the right partnerships but minting the next generation of medicines, with GLP-1 weight loss pills launching as soon as early 2026. The Business of Fashion
• [New] Unless prices dramatically decline, Wegovy and other weight loss drugs could push Americans to spend $1 trillion per year on prescription drugs and have the potential to bankrupt Medicare, Medicaid, and our entire health care system. AJMC
• [New] Many organizations are taking action to spread awareness of compounded semaglutide and the potential for fake versions, including the World Health Organization, Novo Nordisk, news agencies, and health care experts. AJMC

Last updated: 25 October 2025