Kind of like how every streamer released an epic fantasy show after Game of Thrones was a massive hit, drugmakers are all angling to produce the next blockbuster weight loss drug.  

What happened: As the race to dethrone Novo Nordisk as the king of weight loss drugs heats up, pharma giant AstraZeneca has signed onto a licensing agreement with Chinese drugmaker Eccogene for a weight loss drug in the same class as Ozempic and WeGovy. 

People worldwide are falling into bad eating habits (though we blame the food).

Driving the news: One in seven adults globally could be addicted to ultra-processed foods, according to an analysis of 281 studies across 36 countries that was released yesterday. The analysis shows that ultra-processed foods like ice cream, fast food and ready-made meals now make up more than half of the average diet for people in the UK and US.

The British government wants to make smoking a thing of the past in the UK, alongside lions (that once roamed the land) and its EU membership.

Driving the news: The UK is proposing a new law that would make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. This would effectively raise the legal smoking age by one year every year until, eventually, nobody would be allowed to smoke. 

Ever feel like your cold medication isn’t really doing the job? That may be because it’s literally not doing the job—or any job, for that matter.

What happened: An FDA advisory panel found that an active ingredient commonly found in cold medicine is no more effective than a placebo for treating congestion. 

You all already know that tobacco companies were responsible for one major global health crisis, but what if we told you they were actually responsible for two of them? 

Driving the news: A new study published in the journal Addictions blames the rise of junk food in North America on brands that were once owned by tobacco companies. 

Looking to cut back on drinking? There’s an app for that. 

What happened: Swiss researchers who designed a smartphone app aimed at developing healthier drinking habits among students found that, over 12 months, students with a history of “unhealthy alcohol use” drank 10% less per week on average while using the app.  

You can now add ‘higher prices’ to the list of reasons to put off your next visit to the dentist, alongside ‘awkward small talk’ and ‘pointy tools.’ 

What happened: Provincial dental associations have increased prices by an average of 5.99% in their dental fee guides, which help dentists determine how to price their services. 

TikTokers (who else?) have found a “natural” alternative to Ozempic in berberine, a chemical found in plants like barberry and goldenseal.

Driving the news: Per Wired, TikTok influencers are fuelling the surge in summer sales for berberine, a supplement nicknamed “nature’s Ozempic,” a play on the popular type 2 diabetes drug that became a phenomenon when it was discovered to cause weight loss.

Have you heard about INS018_055? No, it’s not the name of Grimes and Elon Musk’s newest child. It’s a potentially groundbreaking AI-designed drug.  

What happened: Biotech company Insilico Medicine has moved to a phase two clinical trial (the stage determining an experimental drug’s efficacy) for its lung disease drug called INS018_055—a first for a drug that’s entirely “AI-discovered-and-designed.”