GoKawiil
Tech News
The FDA announced a new label warning for GLP-1 medications including Ozempic and Zepbound, flagging a rare eye condition that can cause sudden vision changes. The agency says the condition carries a risk of permanent damage in some patients.
The FDA issued a drug safety communication requiring makers of GLP-1 drugs—including Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro—to add a warning about a possible link to NAION, a rare condition that restricts blood flow to the optic nerve and can cause sudden, permanent vision loss. The agency says the exact mechanism is unknown, and the condition's rarity, combined with overlapping risk factors common among GLP-1 users like diabetes and high blood pressure, makes confirming a direct causal link difficult.
Burger King's King Jr. meal sales rose 40% year over year last quarter, reaching a decade-high level, driven partly by upgraded chicken nuggets and a Dragon Ball Super promotion. President Tom Curtis said a growing number of adults are buying the kids' meals for smaller portions, with Circana data showing adult orders of kids' meals up 28% since 2019.
A new report cited by MIT Technology Review's The Checkup newsletter finds that global cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa increased 71% between 1990 and 2023. Clinicians quoted in the report say they are already observing GLP-1 weight-loss drugs worsening disordered eating in some patients.
Clinical psychologist Cheri Levinson of the University of Louisville says she is seeing more eating disorder patients with more severe symptoms than at any point in her nearly 20-year career, including growing numbers misusing GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. Separately, a study in JAMA Psychiatry led by Ruhai Bai of Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University estimated the incidence of anorexia and bulimia across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023, finding rising global health burden from these conditions.
New research shows that people taking GLP-1 weight-loss medications like Ozempic are cutting back on spending for certain foods, while increasing spending on fitness, supplements, and clothing. The study points to broader shifts in consumer habits tied to widespread use of these drugs, which can cost users hundreds of dollars monthly.
University of Pennsylvania scientists analyzed roughly 150,000 Reddit posts from about 40,000 users to study self-reported effects of retatrutide, an experimental GLP-1 weight-loss drug not yet approved by regulators but obtained by some people in unapproved forms online. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that increased appetite was the most commonly reported symptom among classifiable complaints—contrary to the drug's hunger-suppressing design and the digestive issues emphasized in Phase 2 trials.
Following the August approval of Takeda's narcolepsy treatment Orzeyful (oveporexton), researchers are investigating whether orexin agonists could treat conditions beyond sleep disorders, including ADHD and other attention-related disorders. Takeda R&D president Andrew Plump compared the drug class's potential trajectory to GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, which expanded from diabetes treatment into other therapeutic areas. The excitement builds on decades of research into orexins, brain peptides that influence sleep, mood, appetite and memory, first identified by scientists including Stanford's Luis de Lecea in the 1990s.
A new Priceline report finds that Americans taking GLP-1 medications like Ozempic are driving new expectations for hotels, including in-room refrigerators to store medication and menus with higher protein content. The report frames this as part of a broader shift in travel preferences tied to the growing use of weight-loss and diabetes drugs.
Eli Lilly presented early clinical data last month on brenipatide, a tirzepatide-related compound, for alcohol use disorder. Kariya Pharmaceuticals separately reported early results for KP405, a similar GLP-1 compound, in Parkinson's disease, while Baseline Therapeutics said it plans to begin a clinical trial of a GLP-1 compound for alcohol use disorder in early 2027.
GLP-1 agonist drugs, approved for diabetes, kidney disease and obesity, are being used by a growing share of Americans, with a recent Gallup poll finding 11% currently take one for weight loss, up from 3% in 2024. Beyond common gastrointestinal issues, pancreatitis and gallstones, researchers and lawsuits are examining rarer possible effects including eye nerve damage, plus emerging questions about hair and nail changes.
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk report that patients on their GLP-1 drugs show slower biological aging according to molecular 'aging clocks' measuring DNA changes and protein levels. Separately, MIT Technology Review named Energy Dome among its 10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch for 2026, citing its system that stores renewable energy using compressed carbon dioxide rather than underground caverns.