Employers should consider requiring documented diagnoses, evidence-based prior authorization, and stepped therapy, plus lifestyle programs before approving GLP-1s for weight loss to curb long-term spend
While tirzepatide has modest effects on metabolism , retatrutide appears to meaningfully elevate resting metabolic rate through this glucagon-mediated pathway
This distinction matters for both regulatory compliance and honest consumer expectations
Am J Physiol 1996
At the same time, the data imply that a medicinal chemistry campaign focusing on engineering pharmacokinetically optimized GLP-1MK-801 conjugates might give rise to drugs that could outperform the current incretin-based treatments for obesity, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide
Wegovy (semaglutide injection, Novo Nordisk), Zepbound (tirzepatide injection, Eli Lilly), Saxenda (liraglutide injection, Novo Nordisk), and oral Wegovy (semaglutide tablets, approved December 2025)