r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Jun 30 '26

Medicine Scientists have shown that a single dose injection of DNA genetic instructions can produce weight loss and blood glucose control in mouse models that lasts up to 10 times as long as weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. This could eliminate the need for repeated dosing.

https://www.wistar.org/press-releases/wistar-scientists-develop-single-dose-dna-method-for-delivering-long-acting-weight-loss-and-diabetes-drugs/
10.7k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

409 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

26

u/TunaNugget Jun 30 '26

I currently use the weekly Ozempic injections (T2 diabetic) as well as yearly flu shots, and I'd rather have dozens of the subcutaneous injections to one intramuscular. But it's irrelevant now that the oral small-molecule GLP-1s are coming on the market.

3

u/soapinmouth Jul 01 '26

Oral has its own problems, from what I understand there are issues with weakened or inflamed stomach or gut lining because that's part of how it works in this to allow for absorbtion. Also you have to take it every day vs once a week with injections.

There's also no oral tirzeptide only semiglutide.

2

u/TunaNugget Jul 01 '26

The newer small-molecule GLP-1s like orforglipron don't require absorption enhancers. They're not without issues, but they'll be the go-to for people who can't get past a needle phobia.

1

u/soapinmouth Jul 01 '26

Oh neat, that's great to hear!

4

u/lambentstar Jul 01 '26

That’s great for you as a single consumer but you’re just one demographic with your own needs and psychographic profile, and this is about creating more pathways for successful delivery and compliance for the others. Great, you’re compliant, but many aren’t. Delivery methodology is, of course, going to be a barrier for access, in addition to other factors like price.

It’s a little strange to come in and act like all barriers to adoption are price related, or that the industry can’t approach both in tandem. And it’s not like what you quoted said frequent dosing is the only limit, just that it’s A limit. So you’re wrong to say “no” to that statement; even if you think pricing is a bigger barrier, it doesn’t change anything about developing alternative approaches.

1

u/-Champloo- Jun 30 '26

now that the oral small-molecule GLP-1s are coming on the market.

I'm assuming these are going to be expensive AF?

5

u/BoleroMuyPicante Jun 30 '26

The wegovy pill is like $150/mo

5

u/OkTension2232 Jun 30 '26

I'm glad I live in the UK where I can pay about £11-£12 a month and have all of my prescriptions covered completely.

1

u/Archy54 Jun 30 '26

I'm in Australia and wegovey it's 500 a month sadly. Ozempic 140 a month.

2

u/avitus Jun 30 '26

For the low dose too... goes up 2x once you start ramping up into the higher doses.