In the latest wave of popular weight-loss treatments, several types of drugs commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes have been making headlines.
Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and other diabetes medications aim to target different types of glucose receptors in the body, which helps to lower blood sugar in diabetes patients. Yet you may be more familiar with them for a different reason — these drugs can also help curb patients’ appetites by binding to these same receptors.
This discovery has unlocked an entirely new range of uses for this family of drugs. Ozempic, in particular, has seen a major surge in popularity among celebrities and on social media, and the scientific community has largely affirmed these outcomes.
Though they’re changing the game in weight-loss treatment, this family of drugs is still subject to many misconceptions among scientists and in popular culture. Despite its immense popularity, Ozempic still hasn’t been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat obesity.
And while they’re used for many of the same purposes, Ozempic and Zepbound differ in a few key ways. Here’s what to know about these two distinct drugs, and how they’re being used to treat a variety of conditions.