From obesity drug to lifestyle drug: studying the marketing shift of GLP-1

Elaine’s stories explore the rise of new obesity treatments, new drug payment models, how businesses are affected by FDA changes, and the emerging psychedelic drug sector. She co-writes The Readout newsletter and co-hosts STAT’s weekly biotechnology podcast, The Readout Loud. You can reach Elaine on Signal at elaineywchen.70.

The blockbuster GLP-1 drugs have transformed the lives of millions of people. Lately, they are undergoing their own transformation.

Once touted as tools to combat obesity as a medical problem, GLP-1 drugs are increasingly seen – and marketed – as a way to look and feel better overall. And, as a pioneer in the field, Novo Nordisk, in particular, has addressed this change.

In advertisements around the world, the company launched slogans such as “Live Lighter” and “Summer Glow Up.” On its website, Novo no longer calls its treatment, Wegovy, a “weight management” drug or an “anti-obesity” drug, but rather a “weight loss” drug. And the company now often refers to people who take its medications less as “patients” and more as “customers.”