By Healthcare Brew Staff
less than 3 min read
Definition:
GLP-1, aka glucagon-like peptide-1, agonists are medications (often injectables) that help lower blood sugar levels for some patients with Type 2 diabetes or others managing weight loss.
What are the different types of GLP-1s?
The two most popular types of GLP-1s are tirzepatide (Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound) and semaglutide (brand names Ozempic and Wegovy under Novo Nordisk). Both are FDA approved to treat Type 2 diabetes, but semaglutide is also approved for weight loss treatment. The branded drugs have specific approved uses, such as Ozempic being approved for diabetes treatment and Wegovy for weight loss management.
Compounded semaglutides, such as the GLP-1s that health and wellness company Hims & Hers offers, are custom made “generics” of Ozempic and Wegovy medicines. These are not FDA approved and were originally created to help during shortages of the brand-name drugs, but have been phased out after the FDA declared there was no longer a shortage in February 2025.
What has been happening in the GLP-1 industry?
These drugs have seen rampant popularity among patients as weight loss solutions, leading to shortages that put diabetes patients at a disadvantage (but they’ve been a boon to pharmaceutical sellers).
Unsurprisingly, this lucrative market has experienced ongoing competition and challengers trying to disrupt the space. Hims & Hers created its compounded GLP-1s in May 2024, but after it was no longer able to legally sell it, the company announced a partnership in April 2025 with Novo Nordisk to sell Wegovy. (Spoiler: That partnership soured after only two months.)
Before that, Amazon Pharmacy announced it would deliver Eli Lilly’s Zepbound to patients starting in March 2024. Drugmaker AbbVie also announced it would enter the GLP-1 space, purchasing biotech Gubra and its injectable Gubamy in March 2025.
