Table of Contents
Ozempic has been It is considered a miracle drug. It is the best known of the GLP-1 drugs, a class of medications that can help regulate appetite, digestion, and blood sugar levels, and help those suffering from obesity or diabetes lose weight. Naturally, these drugs are in high demand. But there is now a shortage of Ozempic and other GLP-1s, leading to a surge of clones that claim to offer the same benefits and the same key ingredient, semaglutide, at lower prices. These cloned drugs are easy to obtain through telehealth providers, even if the buyer needs to lie a little about themselves to buy them.
In this brave new world of weight loss, we are still trying to understand how these drugs fit into our society. Part of that process is the continued study of how GLP-1 drugs work (much of how they affect us is still unknown) and the ongoing debate over how much we should regulate and control their use.
This week on Gadget Lab, we spoke with WIRED writers Kate Knibbs and Emily Mullin about how GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic work and what happens when they don’t. We also talked about the current drug shortage and how it can be solved.
Show notes
Read Kate’s story about buying cloned Ozempic online. Read Emily’s story about how Ozempic doesn’t work for everyone. Read all the stories in WIRED’s The Age of Ozempic series.
recommendations
Emily recommends staying as cool this summer as possible. Kate recommends the HBO series John Adamsstarring Paul Giamatti. Mike recommends buying a used 35mm camera and using some rolls of film to get creative.
You can find Kate Knibbs on social media @KnobsEmily Mullin is on @emilymullin. Michael Calore is at @snack fightLauren Goode is on @Lauren Goode. Bling the main hotline at @Gadget LabThe show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@Boone Ashworth). Our theme music is from Solar keys.
How to listen
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