Websites selling compounded versions of popular weight-loss drugs from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to U.S. consumers often do not inform patients of the risks associated with these medicines, according to a research letter published on Friday.

A high dose of Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy led patients to lose substantial weight in a clinical trial, but still less than what’s been seen with Zepbound.

Adults with obesity receiving once-weekly semaglutide 7.2 mg lost a higher proportion of their body weight at 72 weeks than adults receiving semaglutide 2.4 mg, according to top-line results from the STEP UP phase 3b trial.

People who stayed on a 7.2 milligram weekly dose of semaglutide lost around 20% of their body weight over 72 weeks.

A new study highlighted Monday the potential benefits of popular diabetes drugs on a wide range of health issues, including dementia and cardiovascular diseases, although experts warned against seeing them as miracle drugs.

As evidence has mounted that new diabetes and weight loss drugs can provide a variety of health benefits, the FDA has approved Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide for heart disease and Eli Lilly’s tirzepati | An observational study from Washington University in St.

A study by the Department of Veterans Affairs says that drugs like Ozempic can do plenty more than just help with weight loss.

When children with obesity undergo weight-loss treatment, the effects have repercussions later in life and the risk of serious health problems and premature death is lower as they reach young adulthood.

Compared with poor response, good response to obesity treatment was associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes (adjusted HR [aHR] 0.42, 95% CI 0.23-0.77), dyslipidemia (aHR 0.31, 95% CI 0.13-0.75), and bariatric surgery (aHR 0.42, 95% CI 0.30-0.58), reported Emilia Hagman, PhD, of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and colleagues.

About 140,400 obese patients in Massachusetts were prescribed medications like Wegovy and Zepbound in 2024, a 255 percent increase from 2023, according to a Globe analysis of insurance claims data.

The market for GLP-1 drugs is projected to exceed $200 billion in annual sales by 2031, according to Morningstar Equity Research. Current market leaders include Novo Nordisk NVO and Eli Lilly LLY with treatments such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound addressing both diabetes and obesity.