--- title: "Researchers Say There’s Something Fishy With All These Studies Showing Huge Health Benefits From Ozempic-Like Drugs" description: "The new class of weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s, which includes Ozempic and Wegovy, seem to have a trial sponsorship problem." date: "2024-09-03" modified: "2024-09-03" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/weight-loss-drugmaker-bias-glp-1" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Studies" tags: - "ozempic" - "semaglutide" - "side effects" - "Weight Loss" --- # Researchers Say There’s Something Fishy With All These Studies Showing Huge Health Benefits From Ozempic-Like Drugs ![The new class of weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s, which includes Ozempic and Wegovy, seem to have a trial sponsorship problem.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* It seems like every week, there's a [new headline]() about the [health benefits]() of GLP-1s, the new class of injectable weight loss drugs like semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. However, in a new editorial [published in the *Journal of Public Health Management and Practice*](), a group of public health specialists pointed out that the [companies funding the research into these drugs]() and their safety are often the same ones [making billions of dollars]() from their [runaway popularity](). In their commentary, the Duke-led group of health researchers suggest that there's a glaring conflict of interest when companies like Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, initiate research into the safety and efficacy of these drugs. As these experts point out, [studies]() have [shown]() that "clinical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies are more likely to yield favorable results for company products than independent trials." This so-called "sponsorship bias" can not only lead to favorable academic papers, but similar boosterism in the media and public perception of the drugs. The trend is further complicated as both [doctors]() and [influencers]() are paid to push the injections without revealing negative side effects like [gastrointestinal distress](). Along with recommending that organizations like the National Institutes of Health fund more objective research into the safety of these kinds of drugs, the researchers also said that social media posts about them should be "flagged and accompanied by accurate health information from reputable authorities" like the NIH or FDA — like that [nearly three-quarters]() of patients taking semaglutide experienced gastrointestinal disorders like nausea and diarrhea. At times, there seems to be tension in the commentary's takeaways: in addition to issues around potential bias, the researchers also criticize semaglutide's high cost, saying it makes the drug hard to access for the underserved communities who might need it most. Still, despite debate about whether [exercise and diet should still be considered the gold standard]() in weight loss interventions, the researchers behind the commentary said that the oft-misunderstood risk factors associated with GLP-1s outweigh such criticisms. "We believe that the potential risk factors and uncertainties of GLP-1 receptor drugs and other pharmaceutical options should render lifestyle interventions as the frontline treatment," they wrote, "while pharmaceutical interventions should be provided on a case-by-case basis for patients for whom lifestyle changes do not produce lasting results." **More on GLP-1s:** [*Eli Lilly Offering Way Cheaper Zepbound, If You're Willing to Buy Your Own Syringes*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()