Anglerfish, Gila Monsters, and the Origin of Weight Loss Drugs

Weight loss drug sales are estimated to hit $44 billion by 2030. Many of these treatments can thank previously obscure research on a carnivorous deep sea fish for their development.

Rolfe Winkler is a reporter for the Wall Street Journal covering digital health. Ricky Mulvey caught up with Winkler to discuss:

- The origins and science behind weight loss drugs.
- The challenge of selling lizard venom research to pharmaceutical companies.
- What decades-old research on anglerfish reveals about modern side effects for Ozempic.
- And why it’s “not too hard” to keep dozens of Gila Monsters in your basement.

“Monster Diet Drugs Like Ozempic Started With Actual Monsters”: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ozempic-mounjaro-gila-monster-anglerfish-8c9c1ff2

Companies mentioned: NVO, LLY

Host: Ricky Mulvey
Guest: Rolfe Winkler
Engineers: Tim Sparks, Heather Horton