Weight, Weight, Don’t Tell Me

Drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro started out as tools for patients to control high blood sugar numbers. That alone was pretty revolutionary and a major medical breakthrough. But then people on those drugs realized they weren’t as hungry and didn’t have the same food cravings anymore. Then the weight started coming off. And then, as you might imagine, the drugs went mainstream and are now in heavy demand. But here’s the weird (and maybe a little disturbing) part. Doctors, researchers, and even the drug manufacturers are at a loss for how the drugs work. “While other drugs discovered in recent decades for diseases like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s were found through a logical process that led to clear targets for drug designers, the path that led to the obesity drugs was not like that. In fact, much about the drugs remains shrouded in mystery. Researchers discovered by accident that exposing the brain to a natural hormone at levels never seen in nature elicited weight loss. They really don’t know why.” Here’s the skinny from Gina Kolata in the NYT (Gift Article): We Know Where New Weight Loss Drugs Came From, but Not Why They Work.