Episode 36

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Published on:

22nd Dec 2023

The Way of Wegovy Part 2: Obesity Treatment and New Frontiers

A new class of medicines has transformed the treatment of obesity -- Wegovy and Ozempic have become household names. While we discussed these GLP-1 medicines on an episode of Beyond the Abstract less than a year ago, the field has progressed so quickly we thought it was already time to review many of these recent developments. In today's episode, Derek and Dan first discuss improved versions of these medicines on the horizon for the treatment of obesity. Derek and Dan then talk about how these medicines are being studied to treat a wide range of diseases outside of obesity, ranging from cardiovascular disease to substance use disorder. 

Articles discussed

Jastreboff et al 2023 NEJM, Triple-Hormone Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity -- A Phase 2 Trial (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2301972)

Wharton et al 2023 NEJM, Daily Oral GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Orforglipron for Adults with Obesity (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2302392)

Lincoff et al 2023 NEJM, Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2307563)

Kosiborod et al 2023 NEJM, Semaglutide in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Obesity (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2306963)

The information presented here is not medical advice. Consult your physician for any questions regarding your personal health.

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About the Podcast

Beyond the Abstract
Science and research for everyone
Hey science nerds! Welcome to Beyond the Abstract, a science podcast dedicated to discussion of the coolest cutting edge, basic science research papers in a way that just about anyone can understand. We're your hosts, Derek, Dan, and Ellen, three MD/PhD students coming from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Medical School who are passionate about science communication and bridging the gap between science and medicine.

In each episode, we’ll dive into a paper and talk about the experiments these scientists did, what it means for the future of research, and even potential impacts on human health and medicine. We've invited experts in these fields to help us understand and dissect these complicated but impactful papers.

We can't wait to share all this cool science with you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and NOT intended as medical advice. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and do not reflect the University of Pennsylvania.

Business contact: beyondabstractpod@gmail.com

About your hosts

Derek Sung, PhD

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Derek is a 7th year MD/PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania interested in developmental and vascular biology with plans to apply into pathology. He received his PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology in 2022. He is the founder, co-developer, and co-host of Beyond the Abstract.

In his spare time, he likes to listen to All Star by Smash Mouth on repeat, smile too big for photos, pretend to be a sommelier, and throw epic Halloween parties with his roommate.

Ellen White

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Ellen is a 3rd year MD/PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania interested in microbiome research with the hopes of specializing in GI medicine. She is a co-developer and co-host of Beyond the Abstract. You can find her listening to Work by Rihanna (feat. Drake) on repeat, getting too invested in college basketball games, or shamelessly watching Real Housewives.

Dan Weiner

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Dan is a MD/PhD student at Harvard Medical School. He recently completed his PhD in genomics! He is co-host of Beyond the Abstract.

In his spare time you can find him running, hiking, cooking and scrolling TikTok.