Curated updates on drug launches, pricing changes, insurance coverage, shortages, and clinical trials.
The FDA proposed removing semaglutide and tirzepatide from the 503B compounding list, which would prevent outsourcing facilities from mass-producing unapproved versions. Public comments accepted through June 29, 2026.
Read nowThe ACHIEVE-4 trial, the longest Phase 3 study of Foundayo to date, found the oral GLP-1 was non-inferior to insulin glargine for cardiovascular events and showed a 57% lower risk of all-cause death (HR 0.43). Lilly plans to file for a type 2 diabetes indication by end of Q2 2026.
Read nowAfter ACHIEVE-4 showed Foundayo cut major cardiovascular events by 16% versus insulin, Lilly plans to file for a type 2 diabetes indication by end of Q2 2026. A diabetes approval would expand prescribing beyond obesity specialists and open broader insurance coverage for the $149/month oral GLP-1.
Read nowA new study found that tirzepatide removes 1.1% more lean body mass than semaglutide after three months, rising to 2% after a year. Both drugs cause some muscle loss, but the difference is clinically meaningful.
Read nowRichard DiMarchi and Matthias Tschop, two scientists whose work led to today's GLP-1 drugs, are developing a new obesity drug that skips GLP-1 entirely. Their experimental compound activates GIP and glucagon receptors instead, and early animal studies suggest comparable weight loss with less nausea. It's still years from your pharmacy.
Read nowThe FDA has requested post-marketing safety data from Lilly on Foundayo (orforglipron), citing unexpected MACE cases and potential drug-induced liver injury seen during clinical trials. Lilly says the ACHIEVE-4 trial data shows no liver safety signal and a 16% lower risk of major cardiovascular events compared to insulin.
Read nowThe FDA approved Foundayo (orforglipron) on April 1, 2026, the first oral GLP-1 with no meal-timing restrictions. Self-pay pricing is $149/month, with a $25/month copay option for commercially insured patients. It's already available at retail pharmacies, LillyDirect, Ro, Amazon Pharmacy, and Weight Watchers Med+.
Read nowFoundayo (orforglipron) is now available at U.S. pharmacies, with same-day access through LillyDirect, Ro, Amazon Pharmacy, and Weight Watchers Med+. At $149/month self-pay, it's the most affordable branded GLP-1 on the market and the first oral option with no meal-timing restrictions.
Read nowLilly's Zepbound KwikPen is now available at 70,000+ pharmacies nationwide with self-pay pricing starting at $299/month for the 2.5 mg starter dose, roughly 72% below the $1,086 list price for standard single-dose pens. The KwikPen Savings Card covers doses up to 15 mg at $449/month through December 31, 2026.
Read nowNovo Nordisk lost two senior leaders in the same week: Lotte Bjerre Knudsen, the scientist who invented liraglutide, retired after 36 years, while obesity VP Sylvia Shubert left for Boehringer Ingelheim. Boehringer's recruitment of Novo talent signals growing competitive pressure as it pushes survodutide through Phase 3.
Read nowThe TOGETHER-PsA trial found that combining Zepbound with Taltz delivered a 31.7% rate of dual response (ACR50 + 10% weight loss) in patients with psoriatic arthritis and obesity, compared to 0.8% on Taltz alone. Two-thirds of PsA patients in the U.S. have obesity, making this combination relevant to a large population.
Read nowA 23andMe study of 27,885 GLP-1 users found that a variant in the GLP1R gene accounts for 1.7 to 3.3 extra pounds of weight loss per gene copy, while a GIPR variant predicts nausea specifically on tirzepatide. 23andMe now sells a GLP-1 Medications report through its $299/year Total Health membership.
Read nowIndia's semaglutide patent expired March 20, 2026, and generic versions have already crashed to $14-15/month. In the U.S., brand-name semaglutide patents won't expire until 2033-2037, leaving American patients paying $1,000+ per month for the same molecule available overseas for the price of a lunch.
Read nowPhRMA CEO Steve Ubl is stepping down by the end of 2026 after more than a decade leading the pharmaceutical industry's top lobbying group. His successor inherits an industry under intense pricing pressure, particularly on GLP-1 drugs that retail above $1,000/month but cost $10-30 to manufacture.
Read nowThe EMA approved storing and shipping Wegovy at up to 30°C (86°F) for 48 hours, making it the first GLP-1 injection with room-temperature delivery flexibility in Europe. In other news, Vivatides raised $54M for RNA therapies and Gilead exercised its option on Kymera Therapeutics.
Read nowFoundayo launched at $149/month self-pay on April 9, 2026 — available the same day at retail pharmacies, through LillyDirect, and via telehealth providers including Ro, Amazon Pharmacy, and Weight Watchers Med+. If you've been sitting on the fence about starting a GLP-1, this is the most accessible on-ramp yet: no needles, no meal timing, 27.3 lbs average weight loss at the top dose, and the broadest same-day launch network of any GLP-1 to date.
Read nowThe FDA approved Foundayo (orforglipron) on April 1, 2026 — the first GLP-1 pill with no meal-timing rules — launching at $149/month self-pay, with a $25/month option for commercially insured patients. If you've been avoiding GLP-1s because of injection anxiety or high cost, this is the lowest barrier to entry yet: 27.3 lbs average weight loss at the top dose, no fasting required, and the broadest Medicare access pathway of any obesity drug currently on the market.
Read nowIndia's semaglutide patent expired March 20, 2026, and generic prices immediately crashed to roughly $14–15/month — while the same molecule costs over $1,000/month in the US. Generic semaglutide won't reach US pharmacies until 2033–2037 at the earliest, but Foundayo at $149/month self-pay and Zepbound's KwikPen at $299/month are the closest things to patent-cliff pricing available to you right now.
Read nowResearchers identified GLP1R gene variants that boost weight loss by an additional 1.7–3.3 pounds, and GIPR variants that increase tirzepatide nausea risk by 83%. Genetics may determine who responds best to which drug.
Read nowAs of April 10, 2026, the free Zepbound savings card — $299/month for the 2.5 mg starter dose, $449/month for maintenance — works at over 70,000 pharmacies including Walgreens, Kroger, Sam's Club, Amazon Pharmacy, and Publix. If you're paying $1,050+ retail for Zepbound at any of these chains right now, stop and enroll at zepbound.lilly.com/savings before your next refill — it takes minutes and saves you $600–$750/month.
Read nowPhase 3b data from TOGETHER-PsA, presented at AAD 2026 in Denver, showed Zepbound plus Taltz hit the combined ACR50 + 10% weight loss endpoint in 31.7% of psoriatic arthritis patients — versus 0.8% on Taltz alone. If you're on a biologic for PsA or psoriasis and have obesity, this peer-reviewed paper (published in *Arthritis & Rheumatology* March 2026) is now the document to bring your rheumatologist when requesting a Zepbound prior authorization.
Read nowA 27,885-person study published in *Nature* on April 8, 2026 confirmed your GLP1R gene variant can predict about 3.3 extra pounds of weight loss — real, but not enough to change what your doctor prescribes. Before spending $299/year on 23andMe Total Health expecting it to explain your GLP-1 results, know that dose, diet, and adherence still drive the outcome far more than genetics.
Read nowNovo Nordisk's 36-year GLP-1 pioneer Lotte Bjerre Knudsen retired in April 2026, the same week obesity specialist Sylvia Shubert moved to Boehringer Ingelheim as SVP of obesity and liver health. Neither departure affects what's in your pharmacy today — but Boehringer's Phase 3 survodutide data, expected H1 2026, could be your first look at a serious third competitor in the GLP-1 weight-loss space.
Read nowPhRMA CEO Steve Ubl announced he'll leave by end of 2026 — his successor inherits a drug class retailing above $1,000/month that costs $10–30 to manufacture, with a Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program launching July 2026 at $245/month. If you're on Medicare and use a GLP-1 for diabetes or cardiovascular risk, check CMS.gov starting July 1 — you may have a new, cheaper access pathway your plan hasn't told you about.
Read nowOn April 9, 2026, the EMA approved a Wegovy logistics update allowing delivery at up to 30°C for 48 hours — making it the first GLP-1 weight-loss drug in the EU cleared for standard parcel delivery without refrigerated transport. If a Wegovy pen arrives warm after a normal shipping delay, the drug's actual temperature tolerance is higher than most patients assume; your home storage rules haven't changed.
Read nowA Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 70% of Americans who want to lose weight prefer pills over injections, citing lower cost and no needles. Oral semaglutide and orforglipron could dramatically expand the market.
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