Ozempic Without Illusions: The Race for a Magic Weight Loss Drug

“Ozempic” is the most talked-about drug of recent years—already today it is reshaping the healthcare system and influencing entire markets. A single injection a week has helped millions keep their blood sugar levels under control, comparatively easily lose tens of kilograms, and for the first time feel that they can take control of their bodies.

In the audiobook, Reuters journalist Amy Donnellan tells the story of the forty-year journey to develop the medicine: from toxic saliva from an Arizona lizard and research by Svetlana Moysov, a Yugoslav chemist who dreamed of finding a universal remedy for diabetes, to the closed offices of Danish Novo Nordisk, where the leadership for a long time was reluctant to acknowledge excess weight as a condition that can be treated.

“Ozempic” has already affected obesity statistics in the United States, hit fast-food sales, and made the alcohol industry strain. However, this success has a downside as well: patients who have encountered gastroparesis, pharmaceutical companies that prefer not to emphasize the most severe side effects, and a society that quickly forgot body positivity as soon as a truly effective weight-loss solution appeared.