Odd Lots

GLP-1 Drugs Are Coming, and They Could Change Everything

The impact of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy will have effects far beyond their manufacturers.

A scientist uses a culture flask and pipette in the cell therapy labs at the Novo Nordisk A/S research facilities in Malov, Denmark, on Monday, June 12, 2023. The success of Novo's bestsellers Ozempic and Wegovy, drugs that help people lose significant amounts of weight, has created something of a gold rush in the pharma industry with about 40 companies developing products that will intensify competition.Photographer: Carsten Snejbjerg/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway

August 18, 2023 at 3:37 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

There's a new class of weight-loss drugs in town. GLP-1 medications including Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro were created to treat diabetes but have since been found to suppress appetites and induce substantial weight loss. It's a big deal for the companies which make them, with shares of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly all soaring in recent weeks. But the drugs could end up having a much broader economic impact too. On this episode, we speak with James van Geelen of Citrinitas Capital, about the second-order effects of effective weight-loss drugs. He talks us through how he's evaluating the potential of the new meds and how he approaches possible 'mega-trends' like GLP-1 or AI. The transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.