Posts Tagged ‘marketing’

Unless you’ve been living under a rock this January, you have probably noticed that this is no longer diet season. U.S. News seems to have abandoned their longstanding annual ranking of “Best Diets,” perhaps because no one is paying attention in this age of drugs related to Ozempic. Now, more people are dealing with excess […]

We do not feel any nostalgia for “diet season.” None. Its demise was apparent two years ago. But in its place, it seems we have a telehealth GLP-1 season. Rebel Wilson is screaming at us to sign up for microdosing with a GLP-1. Put those ads together with somewhat calmer advertising from Ro and Hims, […]

The emerging contest to dominate the market for oral tablets in obesity treatment became clear this week as news and PR dispatches flowed from EASD in Vienna. Aiming for a Mass Target With understated confidence, Lilly presented and published pivotal phase three data on orforglipron in NEJM. They did not run from the fact that […]

There’s a long history on the tricky business of celebrity endorsements for weight management. Years ago, the benchmark was the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, who became a spokesperson for Weight Watchers after her divorce from Prince Andrew. Proving much has changed in the popular conception of health and weight, the new benchmark is Serena […]

A telehealth business has a slick, defiant commercial for their compounded weight loss medication ready to run during the Super Bowl tomorrow. More than a few doctors are definitely not amused. They are not the only ones. Two senators have written to the acting head of the FDA to say that caution and fair balance […]

Novo Nordisk and Lilly reported on their business results this week for the final quarter of 2024. These reports brought clarity on a number of points, but to us, one thing stands out. We are moving from euphoria and hype about limitless possibilities in obesity to the realities of market competition and incremental progress. Sales […]

Bragging rights. Yesterday, Lilly claimed them for its obesity medicine, the Zepbound brand of tirzepatide. The company announced topline results from a head-to-head trial of tirzepatide vs semaglutide for weight loss in persons with obesity or overweight and at least one obesity-related complication. It should be no surprise that tirzepatide won this narrowly-defined contest. In […]

Perhaps it was inevitable. Last week, the Times plunged into stereotypes about obesity care and gender, asking “Is the era of ‘Brozempic’ upon us?” The spark for the story comes from the efforts of telehealth businesses trying to crack the code for reaching men with concerns about obesity. It can be awkward. The cultural baggage […]

Influencers are not doctors. They can’t understand the science issues with obesity drugs. That’s not what they do. With expressive skill, a leading influencer in the fat acceptance movement put her finger on an important issue in the Washington Post this week. On this, we totally agree. If we listen to many social media influencers, […]

FDA has a bone to pick with Otsuka, the company that sells Rexulti (brexpiprazole). The agency is taking issue with false advertising by the company for this drug used in schizophrenia and severe depression. To us, this problem of inflated efficacy claims is especially noteworthy because, for people with obesity who may need this drug, […]