To be a person in the year 2025 is to encounter, in one way or another, the marketing onslaught for compounded GLP-1s—medications containing the same active ingredients as the blockbuster weight-loss drugs but sold at a much lower price.

The medicines watchdog has agreed the drugs are safe and cost-effective for NHS use. Last year, semaglutide was approved for treating obesity under the brand name Wegovy. It has also been licensed under the brand name Ozempic for treating diabetes in some circumstances,

Compounded versions of popular drugs used for weight loss including Wegovy and Zepbound will soon no longer be available after a decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency has ordered compounding pharmacies to stop making compound versions of GLP-1 drugs now that the drugs are no longer in short supply.