The Daily – "Ozempic for All?" (November 14, 2025)

Episode Overview

This episode of The Daily, hosted by Natalie Kitroeff, features reporter Eisha Nelson to discuss the rapidly changing landscape surrounding GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro—once niche, injectable medications that are now poised for mass adoption as pills and as the result of new public health policy. Nelson chronicles the history of these “miracle” weight-loss drugs, the extraordinary challenges faced by pioneering company Novo Nordisk, and how governmental action and pharmaceutical competition are simultaneously upending both industry control and consumer access. The episode explores the implications of this widening access for public health, corporate power, and the broader future of obesity treatment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Looming Revolution in Weight Loss Drug Accessibility

• New Developments

  • Oral (pill) versions of GLP-1 drugs will hit the market in the coming year, likely broadening their appeal beyond those willing to inject themselves (01:32–02:19).
  • President Trump recently brokered a deal to lower the cost of these drugs and expand Medicare/Medicaid coverage for them (02:19–03:45).

• Quote:

  “We are definitely at some sort of turning point…access will really broaden and many more people might start to use them.”
  — Eisha Nelson (01:32)

• Memorable exchange:
  President Trump refers to Ozempic and similar medications as “the fat drug” and quizzes people in the room about who is taking it, breaking stigma by making the drugs’ prevalence public (03:08–03:19).

2. How We Reached This Point: The Backstory of Novo Nordisk

• Novo Nordisk, a century-old Danish company, built its reputation on insulin (06:23–07:24).

• In the 1980s, scientists began isolating GLP-1, but it took decades to make it last long enough to be effective as a medicine.

• Various generations of drugs emerged:

  • Victoza (for diabetes—discovered 1997, market 2010)
  • Saxenda (for moderate weight loss)
  • Semaglutide (branded as Ozempic)

• Cultural context: Earlier, obesity was seen as a personal failing, not a disease; toxic side effects haunted older appetite suppressants (07:49–08:57).

• Quote:

  “Obesity isn’t considered a disease. It is all about willpower, diet, and exercise. So people aren’t thinking, how should you medically treat obesity?”
  — Eisha Nelson (08:29)

3. Ozempic’s Meteoric Rise—and the Downside of Success

• Ozempic, approved in the U.S. as a diabetes drug in 2017, showed such dramatic weight-loss effects that it was soon commonly prescribed “off-label” (08:58–09:44).

• Pop culture phenomenon: jokes at the Oscars, TikTok journeys, and celebrity rumors (09:44–10:12).

• In 2021, “WeGovy” became the official obesity version and its extraordinary health benefits (lowering heart, liver, kidney, cognitive risks) drew even more interest (10:29–11:16).

• Quote:

  “These were huge numbers, huge sales, a lot of popularity for these drugs. But actually the popularity also becomes a problem for the company.”
  — Eisha Nelson (11:16)

4. Supply Shortages and the Rise of “Compounding” Pharmacies

• Demand far outstripped supply following the wild success of WeGovy and Ozempic, especially as off-label use soared (12:55–13:57).

• This scarcity led the FDA to permit compounding pharmacies to make their own non-brand-name versions, effectively breaking Novo Nordisk’s monopoly (14:12–15:04).

• The generics could cost up to $300 less per month than branded versions (14:49).

• Quote:

  “The cost difference between the compounded generics and the name brand can be as much as $300 a month.”
  — White House official (14:49)

5. The Avalanche of Competition: Eli Lilly Enters the Fray

• While Novo Nordisk had patented drugs, compounding flourished in the shortage, and then rampant competition arrived:

  • Eli Lilly launched Mounjaro (for diabetes) and, in 2023, Zepbound (for obesity)—with easier consumer access and, some say, milder side effects (16:41–17:23).

• Quote:

  “Eli Lilly is very quick to allow customers to buy this drug directly…it helps people who are willing to pay out of pocket get access more quickly.”
  — Eisha Nelson (17:23)

6. Attempts to Regain Control (and Profits) Fall Flat

• In early 2025, the FDA declared the supply shortage over and ordered a halt on compounding sales; however, enforcement has been relaxed and “loopholes” remain (18:11–18:57).

• Novo Nordisk tried lawsuits and cease-and-desist letters but couldn’t keep up.

• The impact: Novo’s stock lost 70% of its peak value, wiping out $70 billion; CEO departure and mass layoffs followed (19:02–19:51).

• Quote:

  “The fortunes of this company are completely reversed…Shareholders did not react well. The company’s share price plummets 20% in one day.”
  — Eisha Nelson (19:02)

7. A Watershed for Consumers and Public Health

• While this collapse is “bad news for Novo Nordisk,” it’s largely positive for people who need obesity medication: generics, cheaper competitors, multiple options, and coming alternatives (like pills) will drive down prices and increase access (20:01–21:36).

• Quote:

  “This is definitely the beginning of an expansion of access to these drugs, and it’s hard to actually know where it stops.”
  — Eisha Nelson (21:31)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “President Trump is the friend of the forgotten American. Obesity is a disease of poverty overwhelmingly, and these drugs have only been available for people who have wealth.”
  — White House Official (04:09)

• “Americans will lose 135 billion pounds by the midterms. But I don’t measure it in pounds. I measure it in saved lives.”
  — Dr. Oz (04:42)

• “All of a sudden, endless queries about which celebrity was taking it or not, right?”
  — Eisha Nelson (09:52)

• “My anti-aging doctor just hands it out to anybody, right?”
  — Natalie Kitroeff (10:06)

• “The company’s market value was equal in size to the Danish economy. It was the thing keeping the Danish economy out of recession at the time.”
  — Eisha Nelson (11:16)

• “From the perspective of the compounding pharmacies, this is a huge market…they’re still using other loopholes to offer these drugs to their patients.”
  — Eisha Nelson (18:53)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 01:32 – Eisha Nelson: The accessibility turning point for weight loss drugs
• 02:19 – The Trump White House deal to expand access
• 06:23 – Novo Nordisk’s historical role and drug development
• 08:57 – Introduction of Ozempic as diabetes drug with weight loss off-label use
• 10:29 – FDA approval for WeGovy and wide health benefits
• 12:55 – Novo Nordisk’s inability to keep up with demand leads to shortages
• 14:12 – Compounding pharmacies step in with generic versions
• 16:41 – Eli Lilly launches competitor drugs (Mounjaro, Zepbound)
• 18:11 – FDA attempts to halt compounding fail; legal chaos
• 19:02 – Novo’s market collapse, layoffs, and industry shakeup
• 20:01 – Implications for consumers and public health

Conclusion

This episode skillfully traces the arc from Ozempic’s scientific origins and explosive growth to the chaotic democratization of its use—driven by unanticipated demand, generics, White House pressure, and new competition. While Novo Nordisk’s fate starkly underscores the unpredictability of pharmaceutical innovation, the ultimate outcome, as the hosts note, is a new era of access for millions struggling with obesity, ushering in what may be a revolution in American public health.