Obesity

Shields Health Solutions leaders say GLP-1 discontinuation is a support problem, not a medication problem, and pharmacist-led care can help close it.

Among nearly 48 million US adults eligible for obesity medications, oral semaglutide initiation climbed quickly after its December 2025 FDA approval.

Nearly 3 in 4 bariatric surgery candidates had clinical obesity, a phenotype that BMI alone did not distinguish from preclinical obesity.

In states that covered obesity-labeled GLP-1 RAs, total GLP-1 RA use rose less than obesity-labeled use alone, suggesting possible substitution.

A legal fight over a single amino acid could set retatrutide's exclusivity window, its Medicare negotiation clock, and its competitive future.

The triple agonist also lowered HbA1C by up to 1.6% over 80 weeks, with up to 40% of participants reaching normal levels.

Nonadherence to semaglutide for obesity worsened once out-of-pocket costs passed roughly $75 per 30-day supply among commercially insured adults.

An Endocrine Society scientific statement argues percent weight loss is an inadequate measure of obesity treatment success and proposes new targets.

Obesity care surges with GLP-1 demand, but fragmented ownership, prior authorizations, and coverage rules stall treatment—pharmacists step in.

GLP-1 prescribing among children aged 8 to 11 years with obesity rose 310-fold from 2019 to 2026, but use remains rare and unevenly distributed by income.

Updated systematic review finds GLP-1 therapies deliver substantial weight loss, with newer multiagonists and oral options expanding treatment choice.

At a Chicago roundtable, clinicians detailed fragmented obesity and diabetes care, transplant-access barriers, and insurance-driven prescribing decisions.

Atlanta clinicians described obesity care that stalls between routine diagnosis and delayed treatment, with coverage rules driving therapy choices.

Medicare Part D changes, premium stabilization expiration, and a Bridge demonstration converge with rising GLP-1 demand and costs.

Clinicians outline fragmented obesity and diabetes care models, insurance-driven prescribing, and early results from Medicare's GLP-1 bridge program.

Waist circumference (WC) predicts mortality risk in older adults independent of BMI, with high WC linked to 24% greater death risk, a new study finds.

Eli Lilly's investigational triple agonist is already fueling gray-market sales and a $1 trillion valuation narrative ahead of its 2027 FDA filing.

Lilly opens early access to retatrutide for some patients before FDA approval, following scrutiny over a single earlier compassionate-use case.

GLP-1 use in adolescents and young adults with obesity rose to 96.1% as bariatric surgery fell by two-thirds, new JAMA Pediatrics data show.

Phase 3 TRANSCEND shows setmelanotide cuts BMI and hunger in acquired hypothalamic obesity, signaling a new targeted option after hypothalamic injury.

Expanded FDA indications and Medicare coverage of semaglutide for cardiovascular risk prevention were associated with increased Wegovy utilization, most notably through Medicare Part D.

Slated to run through December 31, 2027, the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge was originally supposed to run for only 6 months.

Those with class III obesity showed 7%+ weight loss with high engagement; Stephanie Kim, MD, MPH, talks GLP-1 complementarity and prospective study needs.

Adults with obesity using an AI-CGM platform lost weight nearly 3 times faster during engaged vs nonengaged periods (1.17% vs 0.44% per week).

Real-world data show AI coaching plus CGM helps adults with obesity lose up to 7% in 6 months, with engagement driving faster weekly weight loss.