Why the Obesity Drug Revolution Is a Work in Progress: QuickTake

A new class of weight-loss drugs known as GLP-1s are proving to be game changers for people with obesity. They’re also minting billions of dollars for the pharmaceutical companies that developed them, Eli Lilly & Co. and Novo Nordisk A/S.

Yet booming demand for these drugs has presented challenges. Insurance companies sometimes balk at paying for the medications, which can cost as much as $16,000 a year. Until recently, shortages created opportunities for lower-priced versions of the drugs made by compounding pharmacies. In late 2024 and early 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration determined that Lilly and Novo ...