“I was tired of being fluffy,” said Steven Ray, who lost over 40 pounds in four months using GLP-1 receptor agonist medications. Originally developed for diabetes, drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have revolutionized obesity treatment across America.
These medications have transformed lives. Alexus Murphy shed nearly 50 pounds, while Becky Bell found something beyond weight loss: “The confidence I have in myself is so much more than I ever thought I would have.”
Since Ozempic’s FDA approval in 2017, prescriptions for GLP-1 medications have increased over 40-fold. Often called “miracle drugs,” they can reduce body weight by 20%, improve blood sugar control, and decrease heart and kidney disease risk. Side effects are typically mild gastrointestinal issues, though concerning discontinuation rates persist despite the benefits.
The cultural footprint of these medications has expanded dramatically, from ubiquitous celebrity weight loss discussions to political debates, including the notable dispute between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk on whether lifestyle changes or GLP-1 medication access is key to “Make America Healthy Again.”
This popularity has attracted telehealth platforms like Hims & Hers Health, which provides direct-to-consumer prescription services primarily for sexual health, psychological medications, and cosmetic treatments. The company’s approach has sparked debate, with supporters praising improved access to treatments for stigmatized conditions and critics questioning safety protocols and business practices.
When the FDA declared a national shortage of semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, in March 2022, compounding pharmacies gained legal permission to produce custom versions of Novo Nordisk’s key ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. Telehealth companies like Hims & Hers quickly seized the opportunity, offering compounded alternatives at a fraction of the cost of brand-name versions, substantially increasing their customer base and revenues.
Advocates highlighted expanded affordability and access with focused safety measures including FDA-registered facilities and independent testing. Critics, however, including obesity specialists and pharmaceutical companies, warned these compounded products lacked FDA approval, could be inconsistent in quality, and were linked to alarming health incidents. By November 2023, CNN had connected compounded semaglutide to at least 100 hospitalizations and 10 deaths.
The controversy peaked during Super Bowl LVIII, when Hims & Hers aired an ad criticizing the “weight-loss industry” while positioning their compounded medications as affordable alternatives to branded drugs. The minute-long spot prompted Senator Durbin, a democrat, and Senator Marshall, a republican, to jointly warn that it “risks misleading patients.” Novo Nordisk countered with newspaper ads questioning “what you’re injecting into your body,” while Eli Lilly expressed concerns about dangerous “knockoff” medications.
In February 2025, the FDA officially ended the semaglutide shortage, triggering a 60 to 90-day transition away from compounded versions. This regulatory shift forced Hims & Hers to phase out its compounded offerings, prompting a substantial stock decline as investors questioned future profitability.
The company has just recently pivoted, announcing plans to offer tirzepatide, another GLP-1 receptor agonist and the active compound in Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Mounjaro medications, alongside the generic liraglutide from Novo Nordisk. Despite Zepbound’s hefty monthly price tag of nearly $2,000, the move represents Hims & Hers’ determination to diversify its weight-loss portfolio in an increasingly competitive pharmaceutical market.
Challenges in affordability help explain why many Americans turn to companies like Hims & Hers in the first place, yet patients end up navigating an increasingly confusing health care landscape, subject to disruptions from legal and economic battles beyond their control. For patients like Steven, Alexus, and Becky, GLP-1 medications have offered a transformative sense of agency in their health journey. However, with long-term treatment adherence uncertain and many experiencing significant weight regain after discontinuation, questions about long-term sustainability remain unanswered.
What is clear, however, is that these medications and America’s health care affordability challenges represent intersecting forces that create a telling microcosm of the broader battles being fought to make America healthy. With obesity rates approaching nearly 1 in 2 Americans, the true measure of GLP-1 medications’ success won’t only be their scientific breakthrough but whether they become widely accessible across socioeconomic boundaries. The question facing America isn’t simply whether these drugs are the answer to our metabolic crisis, but whether our health care system can meet this moment of transformation with a commitment to finding options affordable for all citizens —not just those who can afford to participate in the revolution.
What are your thoughts on the GLP-1 boom? Share in the comments.
Jacob Murphy is a graduating medical student from Johns Hopkins, where he will also complete his internal medicine residency. He is interested in primary care, population health, and low-resource settings.
Image by Alphavector / Shutterstock
