Stand Up for Science Traces the Surprising Story Behind Ozempic and Related Drugs in the Latest 'Traces Thursday'

Venom from a desert lizard, a hormone that vanishes in minutes & 40 years of persistence: the “overnight” weight loss drug revolution wasn’t overnight at all

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Stand Up for Science has released the eighth installment of its weekly “Traces Thusday” series exploring the long, winding paths that lead to groundbreaking scientific discoveries that shape everyday life. This week’s story, “Diabetes and weight loss,” looks into Ozempic and related drugs, now taken by more than 10% of American adults.

To many people, these medicines seem to appear out of nowhere, but their origin story dates back to the late 1970s. Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, which affects about 16% of U.S. adults, it turned out the drugs could also help people lose weight.

In 1979, scientists discovered GLP-1, a hormone the gut releases after eating. It helps lower blood sugar, slows digestion, and signals fullness to the brain. That sounds like an ideal medicine, but there was a catch—the body breaks down GLP-1 within about two minutes. Early efforts to turn it into a diabetes drug were abandoned by 1990.

The breakthrough came from an unexpected source: the venom of the Gila monster lizard. Researchers studyied the venom, partly because these lizards can thrive on huge meals eaten only rarely, and found a molecule that acted like GLP-1 but lasted far longer. It became the first drug of its kind, approved in 2005. Drug companies then built on this by redesigning the human hormone so it resisted breakdown and lingers in the blood for about a week. Semaglutide (sold as Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus) was approved for diabetes in 2017, and tirzepatide (sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound) followed in 2022. The markets grew when the drugs were approved for weight loss.

“This story is still unfolding. Pill versions now exist, including one that uses a clever additive to help a fragile, protein-like medicine survive the stomach. With so many people benefiting, expect to see more drugs in this family in the future,” said Dr. Jeremy Berg, author of the Traces series and former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at NIH and former Editor-in-Chief of Science magazine, now a member of the Board of Advisors with Stand Up for Science.

“Yet again this story illustrates how enabling scientists to follow their own curiosities can lead to surprising medical advances, providing solutions to problems they hadn’t originally set out to solve,” he added.

This case study is the eighth of a planned twelve-part series. Each week, Berg examines a historical example of a major development in disease treatment to illustrate an unseen pattern: the decades or centuries of foundational research that precede any visible medical breakthrough or benefit, and the scientific, regulatory, and practical challenges that can follow it.

Amid ongoing debate over federal science funding, “Traces Thursday” underscores the importance of sustained investment in basic and biomedical research. The medical advances explored throughout the series all depend on research that unfolds over periods of time far longer than a single grant cycle or presidential administration.

Stand Up for Science will continue publishing “Traces Thursday” on the Science Fight Club Substack each Thursday.

Berg is available for comment.

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Stand Up for Science is a grassroots, Washington, D.C. based, non-profit organization mobilizing the fight for science and democracy. Stand Up for Science was formed in February 2025 in response to actions affecting federal science agencies and funding of the American scientific ecosystem. On March 7th, Stand Up for Science mobilized over 50,000 people at 170+ events across the world on its first National Day of Action. Federal scientists across multiple agencies (NIH, EPA, NASA, FEMA) have chosen Stand Up for Science as the platform to publish their open letters of concern. Stand Up for Science is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization [EIN: 33-4154429] and donations are not tax-deductible.

Char Bowling
Stand Up for Science
media@standupforscience.net