Folgen

  • Wegovy Pens Recalled & Wegovy Pill Launch

    Wegovy Pens Recalled & Wegovy Pill Launch
    Jan 6 2026

    This episode opens the year with one of the most consequential—and complicated—weeks in GLP-1 obesity medicine.

    We break down three stories that, taken together, reveal why patients are increasingly reading past headlines and demanding accountability from the industry.

    First, we examine early-phase trial data from Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, after headlines claimed its experimental INHBE-targeting therapy “nearly doubled” the weight loss of Zepbound. We walk through what the data actually showed, why the comparison was misleading, how trial design and dosing matter, and why Phase 1 results should never be treated as superiority claims.

    Next, we turn to a major access milestone: the official launch of oral Wegovy, the first FDA-approved GLP-1 pill for obesity from Novo Nordisk. We discuss how this pill differs from compounded oral semaglutide, why its pricing strategy is so disruptive, and what this launch means for people who have avoided injectable medications. We also explore how direct-to-consumer access, telehealth partnerships, and retail pharmacy distribution signal a broader shift in how obesity care is being delivered.

    Finally, we address the most ironic—and uncomfortable—story of the week: manufacturing quality concerns involving branded Wegovy pens, reported to include biological particulate matter, at the same time Novo Nordisk continues a years-long public and legal campaign against compounded GLP-1 medications on safety grounds. We discuss FDA inspection history, the acquisition of Catalent, and why credibility depends on consistency—especially when millions of patients are paying close attention.

    This episode isn’t anti-pharma or pharma-friendly. It’s patient-first.
    And it asks a simple question: Who do we trust when science, marketing, access, and manufacturing all collide at once?

    Episode Timestamps

    00:00 — Why this first episode of 2026 matters
    02:10 — Hair found in Wegovy pens and why patients notice hypocrisy
    06:15 — Arrowhead trial headlines vs. what the data actually shows
    11:40 — Why tirzepatide dosing and trial design matter
    17:30 — What INHBE targeting may actually be good for (and what it’s not)
    21:45 — Sponsor: SHED and access pathways for obesity care
    25:10 — Oral Wegovy officially launches: what’s different this time
    30:20 — How the Wegovy pill works and why bioavailability matters
    35:40 — Pricing, telehealth, Costco, and direct-to-consumer access
    41:50 — Why pills lower barriers for millions of patients
    46:10 — Manufacturing quality, Catalent, and FDA citations
    52:30 — Why safety arguments against compounding are being scrutinized
    58:40 — Zooming out: access, accountability, and patient trust
    1:02:00 — Final thoughts and what to watch next

    Topics Covered

    • GLP-1 trial hype vs. real-world context
    • Phase 1 data limitations and headline inflation
    • Tirzepatide dosing and misleading comparisons
    • Oral Wegovy vs. compounded oral semaglutide
    • GLP-1 pill pricing and insurance implications
    • Direct-to-consumer pharma and telehealth disruption
    • Manufacturing quality and FDA oversight
    • Compounding pharmacies and healthcare system resilience
    • Patient trust, transparency, and credibility in obesity medicine

    Useful Links & Resources

    • On The Pen Links & Advocacy: https://otplinks.com
    • Sponsor – SHED (use code OTP25): https://tryshed.com
    • FDA Drug Safety & Recalls: https://www.fda.gov/drugs
    • Follow On The Pen:
      • YouTube: https://youtube.com/@onthepen
      • Substack: https://onthepen.substack.com

    Support the Show

    If this episode helped you better understand what’s really happening in obesity medicine:

    • Leave a 5-star rating and review
    • Hit Subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes
    • Join us live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 12pm Eastern on YouTube

    Patients deserve clarity.
    That’s what we’re here for.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    26 Min.
  • Wegovy Pill Approved: First Ever GLP-1 Pill, As Good as Injections!

    Wegovy Pill Approved: First Ever GLP-1 Pill, As Good as Injections!
    Dec 23 2025

    https://www.OTPLinks.com


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    29 Min.
  • GLP-1 Compound Legislation: States are the Next Battlefield w/ Sabina Hemme

    GLP-1 Compound Legislation: States are the Next Battlefield w/ Sabina Hemme
    Dec 19 2025

    Pharma Influence & Why Patient Voices Matter
    Lobbying Power: Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Government Access
    Why GLP-1 Medication Access Is at Risk
    Introducing Sabina Hemi & the Mission of GLP Winner
    Why Compounded GLP-1s Matter for Real Patients
    The Federal “Safe Drugs” Bill: What It Claims vs What It Does
    Why This Bill Raises Red Flags for Patients
    What Real Compounding Safety Reform Would Look Like
    How Compounding Pharmacies Are Actually Regulated Today
    Prescription Reporting vs Patient Safety
    Is This Bill About Safety or Litigation Data?
    Dose Flexibility, Personalized Medicine, and Compounding
    Florida SB 860: A Direct Threat to Compounded GLP-1s
    Why Florida Compounding Impacts the Entire Country
    Why Obesity Medications Are Being Singled Out
    Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API): What Patients Should Know
    FDA Oversight, the “Green List,” and State Overreach
    Why Florida’s API & COA Requirements Don’t Add Up
    FDA Inspection Backlogs & Impossible Compliance Standards
    Branded Drug Safety Issues vs Compounding Scrutiny
    Catalent, Novo Nordisk, and Manufacturing Concerns
    Counterfeit Ozempic: The Overlooked Safety Crisis
    Why Supply Chain Integrity Should Be the Priority
    What Patients Can Do Right Now
    Petitions, Advocacy, and Making Your Voice Heard
    Florida Residents: Why Local Action Matters
    Final Thoughts on Access, Power, and Patient Advocacy


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    59 Min.
  • Compounded Retatrutide? What the Judge Said

    Compounded Retatrutide? What the Judge Said
    Dec 16 2025
    Retatrutide is years away from FDA approval and yet the fight over access, price, control of this medication is already well underway. That's what this podcast is going to be about today. There's well over a hundred thousand people by my estimates who are already on some form of this medication today. And that should tell you enough about how disruptive this molecule is and will be. It is a game changer among game changer. We've been talking about it for three years here at On The Pen, well before any of your favorite gym bros were talking about Retatrutide. We were talking about Reta, who tried Retatrutide here at On The Pen. And that's because we identified this triple agonist as a game changer among game changers. So This is going to be a very Retatrutide heavy episode, and so I hope you'll join us and stick with us if this is a topic you enjoy, because I think this is really going to effectively lay the groundwork for what accessibility to this medication will look like. So let's get into it. Welcome to the On The Pen Podcast with your host, Dave Knapp. Welcome to the On The Pen, the weekly dose podcast. This is our weekly roundup in incretin memetic news. And frankly, there's no news that is bigger than Reta-Trutide news. Just find me any news that is bigger than the data that we got on Reta-Trutide. Now, we already did a video about the Triumph Phase II clinical trials that we got in osteoarthritis of the knee. You can go back and check out that video if you'd like more data. So we're not gonna super... rehash the data. We'll go over at a high level what the data showed us. We're not going to go over how the medicine works, because by now we all know that it's the triple agonist, right? If terzapatide was a dual agonist, GLP-GIP, Retatrutide is the triple agonist that adds to it a glucagon component, which is absolutely just shredding, shredding liver fat. It is absolutely revving up people's metabolism and showing a tremendous amount of weight loss. So let's get into what the weight loss looked like in this first trial, because there are longer obesity trials where, where the primary outcome is the weight loss this was again a specific trial in measuring pain reduction in folks with osteoarthritis of the knee but check out these numbers these are placebo adjusted meaning it's taking the two percent out that people lost on placebo but looking at these numbers Folks on one milligram over forty eight weeks lost seventeen percent. They bumped up to four milligrams. Those folks lost twenty two percent. So right there at the lowest dose, you're already reaching the efficacy of today's drugs that are on the market, like triseptide and semaglutide in their various forms. If you bumped up to eight milligrams, you saw twenty four percent placebo adjusted weight loss and at twelve milligrams, twenty six point four percent weight loss. Adding back in that two percent of the placebo that those on placebo loss, that's twenty eight point four percent weight loss in these forty eight weeks at the highest dose. When you adjust for some of the more real world outcomes, you kind of ding the numbers a little bit based upon people who quit the drug, et cetera. Those numbers look more like a twenty percent weight loss and twenty three point seven percent weight loss at the highest dose. But even then, you're still seeing a drug that is better than the current drugs that are on the market. around forty eight percent of patients on Retatrutide lost greater than twenty five percent. And then if you were at that twelve twelve milligram dose, that highest dose patients lost fifty nine percent of patients lost more than twenty five percent of their body weight. There was a subset that lost thirty percent of their body weight and some even over thirty five percent of their body weight on Retatrutide. So the lower doses compete with today's best drugs and the upper doses are entering into bariatric surgery level weight loss. And that's putting the whole obesity system on notice and probably a lot of surgeons nervous because typical body weight loss was something like the street sleeve gastrectomy. For example, it's about eighteen to twenty five percent body weight. The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass twenty five to thirty five percent weight loss or the duodenal switch thirty to forty percent weight loss. So the upper doses of Ritutrutide overlap with sleeve and bypass outcomes without any surgery. It's incredible. It is a game changer among game changer. It is the new benchmark in obesity medicine. And there's actually more data, like I said, landing in later twenty twenty six. The longer duration will historically, if history is a marker, equal more weight loss than we even see here at this forty eight weeks. We have an interview that will be airing later this week on our channel and on our podcast with our friend Mimi from Australia who just wrapped up her clinical trial on Retatrutide. They ended it like ten weeks early on her,...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    29 Min.
  • Retatrutide Weight Loss: How Much At Each Dose

    Retatrutide Weight Loss: How Much At Each Dose
    Dec 13 2025

    https://www.otplinks.com

    0:00 Welcome & today’s focus: Retatrutide and “chasing the biggest number”
    1:11 On The Pen intro, live schedule (Mon/Wed/Fri) & housekeeping
    2:10 How Dave first heard about retatrutide (work trip, early phase 1 data)
    3:35 Flashback clip: early excitement about retatrutide phase 3 trials
    4:40 Why this new retatrutide data feels different for obesity medicine
    5:32 TRIUMPH-4 trial overview: obesity + knee osteoarthritis population
    7:00 Headline results: 28.7% average weight loss, surgery-level efficacy
    8:47 Breaking down weight loss by dose (9 mg vs 12 mg; 25–35% loss rates)
    11:05 What “efficacy estimate” really means (race-track analogy)
    13:28 Real-world view: treatment-regimen estimate (20–23.7%) vs trial ideal
    15:40 Mechanism refresher: GIP, GLP-1, glucagon and why RETA differs from TIRZ
    18:05 Side effects, dysesthesia/allodynia & who stopped treatment (BMI differences)
    21:02 Why the lower doses matter & who actually needs 30% weight loss
    24:15 From “just make the scale go down” to quality of weight loss & body composition
    28:05 Future focus: health, longevity, and peptides beyond hitting goal weight
    30:40 Viewer Q&A: combining RETA + TIRZ, amylin (eloralintide) combos & “talk to your doctor”
    34:38 How retatrutide changes the next decade of obesity treatment conversations
    37:22 News update: high-dose Wegovy 7.2 mg approval in the EU & US outlook
    40:55 Orforglipron oral GLP-1: liver-signal concerns & fast-track FDA review
    45:20 Why small-molecule oral GLP-1s aren’t the same as injectable peptides
    48:40 New topic: Indiana “Safe Drug Act of 2025” and why Dave is concerned
    51:02 Production caps, “essentially a copy” language & shifting power from prescribers to FDA
    54:28 How the bill undermines personalization while ignoring real safety tools
    57:05 Safety theater vs real safeguards: API sourcing, sterility & adverse-event reporting
    59:45 Who actually gets hit: compliant 503A/503B compounders vs existing bad actors
    1:02:05 Call to action: petition at otplinks.com & why patient voices matter
    1:05:10 Change.org impact, media attention & centering the patient perspective
    1:07:30 Final Q&A, subscribe, obesity.news email list & closing thanks


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    50 Min.
  • Mounjaro vs. New Obesity Drugs: Why Wave-007 Is Stealing the Spotlight

    Mounjaro vs. New Obesity Drugs: Why Wave-007 Is Stealing the Spotlight
    Dec 9 2025

    Episode Timeline & Main Topics

    00:00 — Opening & Community Update
    • First week doing the podcast fully live thanks to the On The Pen community
    • Overview of why this week’s news is a major turning point in obesity medicine

    02:30 — Introducing the “One-and-Done” Obesity Drug (Wave Life Sciences)
    • WVE-007 early data drops
    • Why this therapy is unlike GLP-1s or any nutrient-stimulated hormone
    • Fat loss results and lean-mass increase

    06:30 — How Wave-007 Works: INHBE Gene Silencing
    • Mechanism behind visceral fat reduction
    • Why this shifts the field toward “quality of weight loss”

    09:15 — Why Lean-Mass Preservation Matters
    • Current GLP-1 medications and muscle loss
    • Why women dominate trial enrollment and the larger implications
    • Medicare patients and the coming wave of GLP-1 coverage

    13:45 — The Future of Maintenance Therapies
    • Fractyl Health Revita results
    • Lilly’s orforglipron maintenance design
    • Why “holding the line” after GLP-1 therapy is the next major category

    17:30 — Amylin Agonists: Cagrelintide vs. Eloralintide
    • Novo’s delays and the strategy behind them
    • Lilly’s surprising phase 2 results (up to 20% weight loss)
    • Combination therapies with tirzepatide or retatrutide

    22:30 — FDA Pipeline Acceleration
    • Potential removal of traditional phase 3 trials
    • How this speeds up the arrival of next-generation therapies

    24:15 — Oral GLP-1 Small Molecules (Structure Therapeutics)
    • Alaniglipron data and the stock surge
    • Comparisons to orforglipron and past failures like denuglipron
    • Why Dave remains skeptical

    28:40 — Sponsor Break: Shed & Shapa
    • Access, coaching, and patient support
    • Using a numberless scale to build a healthier relationship with weight tracking

    31:10 — Counterfeit Ozempic Warning
    • New fake lot discovered in U.S. pharmacies
    • How to identify counterfeit pens
    • Why this should be a national headline
    • The broader question of drug supply-chain vulnerability

    36:00 — Closing Thoughts on the Future of Obesity Medicine
    • Moving from “more weight loss” to “better weight loss”
    • Why the field is closer than ever to reshaping obesity as a disease
    • Gratitude for the community making full-time coverage possible


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    34 Min.
  • GLP-1: New Metrics, New Molecules, New Prices

    GLP-1: New Metrics, New Molecules, New Prices
    Dec 2 2025
    Topics We Cover: 00:00 – New data from Harvard/Mass General may classify nearly 70% of adults as having obesity 03:00 – A new oral triple agonist shows record-setting absorption rates 07:00 – Fractal Health’s Revita procedure: weight maintenance after stopping GLP-1s 12:00 – Zepbound vial prices drop (full breakdown by dose) 16:00 – Dave’s personal experience switching off Mounjaro and intense hunger return 22:00 – Novo Nordisk’s EVOKE/EVOKE+ Alzheimer’s trial: what the data really means 29:00 – Why GLP-1 neurological research is just getting started 33:00 – Updates on access, partners, and major news coming soon for Medicare patients If you’re on Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, Saxenda, Trulicity, or compounded versions, this episode gives you the insight and context you need to have more competent and confident conversations with your doctor. Bullet Point Summary of the Podcast Episode New Obesity Measurement Data (Harvard/Mass General Study) Harvard and Mass General propose adding waist circumference to BMI to better diagnose obesity. Traditional BMI misses key factors like muscle mass and body composition. Using the updated measure, Americans classified as obese jumps from ~43% to almost 69%. This means 7 out of 10 U.S. adults would now qualify as having the disease of obesity. Dave notes this validates many people who “feel” metabolically unwell despite a “normal” BMI. Reinforces his claim that “most people should be talking to their doctors about GLP-1s.” New Oral Triple Agonist (Ascletis – ASC41/ASC? Molecule) From Ascletis (A-S-C-L-E-T-I-S), developing an oral triple agonist targeting: GLP-1 GIP Glucagon Similar in mechanism to retatrutide, expected around 2027. Preclinical (animal) data show stunning results: Oral bioavailability of 4.2% 9× higher than tirzepatide 30× higher than oral semaglutide 6× higher than oral retatrutide 57× greater drug exposure than oral retatrutide Half-life ~56 hours Stronger receptor activation than retatrutide in vitro Suggests potential for the first powerful oral triple agonist—worth watching. ️ 3. Discussion of the Gray Market / TikTok Experience Dave briefly recounts losing his TikTok account and landing in an algorithm filled with teenagers promoting gray-market “retatrutide.” Expresses concern over unregulated peptide sales, especially to minors. Fractal Health’s New Data – Weight Maintenance After Stopping GLP-1s New results from the Reveal One study (Fractal Health). Participants: lost 24% of body weight on GLP-1s → stopped injections → got one Revita procedure. At 6 months post-GLP-1 discontinuation: Weight changed only 1.5% (vs. ~10% regain in typical off-drug trials) HbA1c barely shifted Safety profile clean Suggests possible long-term weight maintenance without injections through gut mucosal re-lining. Dave describes his own recent attempt to switch drugs and significant hunger return. Food Noise & Biologic Hunger Dave discusses how stopping Mounjaro caused terrifying, primal hunger. Describes the distinction between: Food noise (brain-based thoughts) Hunger signals (biological/animalistic) Reinforces why many patients cannot maintain weight loss without support. Zepbound (Tirzepatide) Cash-Pay Price Reductions Eli Lilly drops cash-pay vial pricing: 2.5 mg: $349 → $299 5 mg: $499 → $399 7.5–15 mg: $499 → $449 Community feedback (informal poll): Most say still too high to leave compounded versions. Many would switch to branded if price hit $200–$300. Dave notes the Most Favored Nations agreement will push GLP-1 prices toward $250/month within 24 months. Alzheimer’s Study (Novo Nordisk – EVOKE & EVOKE+) Oral semaglutide (Rybelsus, 14 mg) did not slow Alzheimer's clinical progression. Biomarkers improved but daily function and cognitive decline did not improve vs placebo. Important context: Oral Rybelsus is a weak form of semaglutide; stronger versions (like Wegovy 2.4 mg or upcoming high-dose oral Wegovy) not tested. Weight loss is not desirable in Alzheimer’s patients, influencing drug selection. Dave emphasizes: This was a nearly $700M trial and an act of scientific courage. This is NOT the end of GLP-1 Alzheimer’s research. Future molecules may target neurological pathways without suppressing appetite. Mentions Lilly’s brenipatide, a GIP receptor agonist being developed for: Addiction Opioid dependency Possibly asthma ️ 8. Access, Cost, and Patient Empowerment Highlights Shed as a partner offering telehealth GLP-1 access. Notes many patients hide GLP-1 use from their primary care doctors. Reinforces OTP’s mission: better, more honest conversations with clinicians. Shapa (Numberless Scale) & Dave’s Personal Update Dave explains how the Shapa numberless scale helped him stay engaged during weight fluctuations. Finds stepping on “zones” (green/gray/blue) less emotionally damaging than numbers. Closing Notes Promises upcoming Eli Lilly savings card update. Encourages ...
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    30 Min.
  • Novo Nordisk Amycretin Shocker + Semaglutide Flopper

    Novo Nordisk Amycretin Shocker + Semaglutide Flopper
    Nov 25 2025

    Follow Us Everywhere:
    https://www.otplinks.com

    Sign up for Emails:
    https://www.obesity.news


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    36 Min.