The Burden of Weight Loss Drugs: Is It Worth the Risk? Vantage with Palki Sharma
Weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are being hailed as revolutionary, reshaping bodies, lives, and a booming $15 billion industry. But behind the hype lies a growing concern: shortages, black markets, and serious side effects ranging from stomach paralysis to suicidal thoughts. As demand soars and influencers drive the trend, experts warn we may be living through a massive human experiment.
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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Hims & Hers Q2 revenue drop shakes stock—Hims crashes 11% after first-ever revenue decline, is the weight-loss drug hype finally fading?
Why did Hims & Hers stock fall after earnings? Live Events Current Price : $63.35 : $63.35 Day Range : $54.82 – $65.54 : $54.82 – $65.54 Open : $64.00 : $64.00 Market Cap: $6.56 Billion P/E Ratio : 39.93 : 39.93 Volume: 35.5M Earnings beat estimates, but Wall Street stays cautious Is the GLP‑1 weight-loss business at risk? Regulatory uncertainty : With the FDA rolling back flexibility on compounded versions of semaglutide, questions are mounting about how long Hims can rely on this segment for revenue. : With the FDA rolling back flexibility on of semaglutide, questions are mounting about how long Hims can rely on this segment for revenue. Legal challenges : The company recently ended its supply relationship with Novo Nordisk , the maker of Wegovy, and is now facing lawsuits over how it marketed compounded alternatives. : The company recently ended its supply relationship with , the maker of Wegovy, and is now facing lawsuits over how it marketed compounded alternatives. Competitive pressure: Big players like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are dominating the branded drug market, making it harder for telehealth companies offering generics to compete on pricing and trust. Hims keeps full-year guidance intact—thanks to international expansion Subscriber growth remains strong despite volatility What investors should watch going forward Future of compounded GLP-1s: Regulatory and legal outcomes could limit Hims' ability to sell compounded semaglutide at scale. Profitability trends: Will margins hold up as more competition floods the market and Hims scales its personalized offerings? Subscriber growth and retention: Continued engagement in non-weight loss categories will be key to long-term stability. Zava integration: The success or failure of this acquisition could make or break Hims' international ambitions. Hims still growing, but cracks are showing FAQs: (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Hims & Hers Health (NYSE: HIMS), the fast-growing telehealth company known for its personalized care plans and buzzy entry into the weight-loss market, saw its stock drop by over 11% after reporting second-quarter 2025 earnings. While revenue jumped 73% year-over-year, the company missed Wall Street expectations and posted its first-ever, raising questions about the future of itsDespite its rapid annual growth, Hims & Hers posted, missing the analyst estimate of. The real concern? Revenue dropped from, marking the first quarter-over-quarter decline since the company went stock currently trades at, regaining some ground after hitting an intraday low of. Despite opening at, it remains volatile, with an intraday high ofThe market reacted sharply to the company's revenue miss—$544.8 million vs. $552 million expected—even though earnings per share beat expectations and subscriber numbers remained strong. Most of the company's revenue stemmed from its GLP-1-based obesity and diabetes treatments, a booming but increasingly scrutinized business regulatory pressures, lawsuits from Novo Nordisk, and tighter FDA rules on compounded semaglutide, Hims faces headwinds in its fastest-growing segment. However, with a market cap of over $6.5 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.93, and forward-looking confidence via its Zava acquisition, the company is still betting big on growth in both the U.S. and were caught off guard, as the slowdown came amid soaring demand forlike semaglutide, a compound similar to the active ingredient in Wegovy and the profit front, Hims reported an adjusted EPS of $0.19, beating the Street's expectation of $0.15. However, the revenue miss overshadowed this earnings appeared more concerned about the underlying business momentum, particularly in the obesity treatment space, which has been a major driver of Hims' recent biggest growth story in recent quarters has been its expansion into GLP-1 weight-loss treatments, which brought in around $190 million in Q2 alone. However, a few red flags have emerged:Despite the Q2 shortfall, Hims & Hers stuck to its full-year outlook. The company reaffirmed its 2025 guidance of $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion in revenue and $295 million to $335 million in adjusted EBITDA.A big reason? The Zava acquisition, a European telehealth platform, which is expected to contribute around $50 million in new revenue this year. This suggests Hims is betting heavily on international growth to offset some of its domestic bright spot in the report was Hims' growing subscriber base. The company now serves over 2.4 million active subscribers, with nearly 70% enrolled in personalized treatment plans that span weight loss, hair care, sexual health, and mental Andrew Dudum emphasized that the company is leaning deeper into its long-term strategy of personalized digital healthcare, aiming to build loyalty and customer lifetime value across multiple product you're following Hims & Hers stock or investing in telehealth companies focused on the obesity drug boom, here are four key things to monitor:Hims & Hers Health has come a long way as a digital-first wellness brand with a bold strategy around weight-loss drugs and personalized healthcare. But the 11% stock drop shows investor sentiment is shifting, especially as its flagship obesity business faces regulatory hurdles and supply now, the company's strong year-over-year growth and firm 2025 guidance offer some reassurance. But with rising competition, tighter FDA rules, and legal pressure, Hims will need to prove that its success isn't just tied to a single product wave—but a durable, trusted digital care company missed revenue estimates and saw its first-ever sequential drop in due to FDA scrutiny and legal issues around compounded semaglutide.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Was Luka Doncic's weight loss natural? NBA pro Gilbert Arenas says it's Ozempic as star credits diet and training
Luka Doncic lost a lot of weight (Image via Instagram / @ lukadoncic) Last season, Luka Doncic weighed 230 pounds while playing for the Dallas Mavericks. This season, he appears thinner, though. According to the most recent article of Men's Health, he began a new diet and exercise regimen that helped him lose almost 30 pounds. Nevertheless, a former NBA player, Gilbert Arenas, thinks there's more to that. He recently claimed that it was a side effect of the well-known weight-loss medication Ozempic. Luka Doncic 's dramatic weight loss sparks debate as Gilbert Arenas suggests Ozempic Recently, NBA veteran Gilbert Arenas took to his social media account and opened up about Luka Doncic's drastic weight loss. Even though the Slovenian basketball player once said that it was the result of diet and gym, the NBA icon thinks it's Ozempic. He said: 'Let's just be honest, man. The fact that he showed you with enough time for rest that Ozempic kicks in quickly, right? Listen, I heard all the soups and sh*t, and you know, he eats this, he eats that cold, right? All it takes is the f**k shot every week… So he's willing to do whatever it takes to get down. Now, the fact that he was doing what he was doing while he was fat…' He continued: 'What do you think about that? What do you think he's about to do to these now? He's about to go ham. I don't want to hear anything about no defense, okay? He's not losing away to play no defense. He lost weight to see if they could play some defense. We just got somebody to play defense. We don't need Luca to play defense. Let him average 39, 9, and 9. He's fine with me…' Luka Doncic recently joined the Los Angeles Lakers (Image via Instagram / @lukadoncic) However, Luka Doncic offered an alternative justification for his weight reduction. To lower inflammation and help his body's healing process, he has been intermittently fasting since June. He also admitted to the Men's Health recent issue that he reportedly eats two high-protein meals and one protein drink each day of the week. On the other hand, his team has worked on deceleration and footwork in the gym. He has further combined a low-sugar, gluten-free diet with weight and agility training as part of his exercise routine. However, what Gilbert Arenas said is just mere speculation and his opinion. Also read: How was Luka Doncic surprised by the Los Angeles Lakers? NBA pro celebrates $165M deal in Las Vegas with teammates and favorite band For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Time of India
Peptides: performance-boosting, anti-ageing drugs or dangerous snake oil?
Lancaster: For a growing number of middle-aged men, ageing no longer means surrendering to sagging skin, sore joints or slowing metabolism. Instead, it's becoming a science experiment. The new frontier? Injectable peptides - experimental compounds that promise rapid recovery, fat loss and muscle gains with the ease of a twice-daily to weekly jab. Once confined to elite labs and obscure bodybuilding forums, these amino acid chains are now flooding wellness spaces, social media feeds and online marketplaces. Although they are marketed as "next-generation biohacks" and "research chemicals", many peptides are not approved for human use and lack basic clinical testing. Still, their popularity is growing - fuelled by testimonials, influencer hype and the seductive promise of turning back time. But beneath the surface of glossy marketing and fitness fantasies lies a far more sobering truth: many of these substances operate in a medical grey zone, with unknown long-term risks, questionable manufacturing standards, and in some cases, life-threatening side-effects. Peptides aren't entirely new to medicine. The first peptide drug - insulin - was isolated in 1921 and became commercially available in 1923. Today over 100 peptide medications are approved, including semaglutide - better known as Ozempic and Wegovy . But the compounds now circulating in fitness communities represent a very different category. They're experimental substances that have shown promise in animal studies but have never undergone proper human trials. The ' Wolverine stack' One such compound, first discovered in human gastric juice, that is attracting lots of attention is BPC-157. Early animal studies suggest it may help repair damaged tissue throughout the body. Researchers tested it on mice, rats, rabbits and dogs without finding serious side-effects. The compound appears to support healing of the tendons, teeth and digestive organs, including the stomach, intestines, liver and pancreas. Scientists don't yet fully understand how BPC-157 works, but animal studies suggest it triggers several biological processes essential for healing. The compound appears to help cells move to damaged areas and encourages the growth of new blood vessels, bringing nutrients and oxygen to tissues in need of repair. Another compound gaining attention is TB500. It is a synthetic version of thymosin beta-4, a naturally occurring protein fragment that plays an important role in repairing and regenerating damaged cells and tissues. It also helps protect cells from further harm by reducing inflammation and defending against microbes. The combination of BPC-157 and TB500 has earned the nickname "the Wolverine stack", named after the Marvel superhero famous for his rapid healing. Then there's IGF-1 LR3, a modified version of a natural protein (IGF-1) linked to muscle growth. This synthetic compound was shown to increase muscle mass by 2.5 times in animal studies, though it has never been studied in humans. The limited human research that does exist for these compounds offers inconclusive results. For example, a study showed that over 90% of patients experienced reduced knee pain after BPC-157 injections. However, the study had no control group and several methodological issues, so the results should be viewed with caution. Hidden dangers Even though the early results seem exciting, these experimental compounds can be dangerous. Making them involves special chemicals called coupling agents, which can trigger serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis - a life-threatening condition. The health consequences extend well beyond allergic reactions. Long-term injection of performance-enhancing substances can lead to heart failure that can occur rapidly with little warning, as documented in recent medical case studies of young bodybuilders. Injection-related injuries pose another significant threat. "Compartment syndrome" can develop at injection sites in leg muscles, causing numbness, blood clots and muscle spasms that result in permanent loss of function. In severe cases, skin and underlying tissue can suffer necrosis (tissue death), requiring antibiotics or surgery to treat. More alarming still are reports of users contracting HIV, hepatitis B and C, and serious eye infections from contaminated injections. These compounds don't just target muscles - they affect the entire body in ways scientists are only beginning to understand. Some interfere with natural insulin production, while others activate biological pathways that healthy cells use for growth and repair. The concern is that these same pathways are exploited by cancer cells. The VEGF pathway, which promotes blood vessel growth, is active in about half of all human cancers, including melanoma and ovarian cancer. Laboratory studies suggest that thymosin beta-4 may play a role in helping colorectal and pancreatic cancers spread. While there's no direct evidence linking compounds like BPC-157 or TB500 to cancer, researchers emphasise that the long-term effects remain unknown because these substances have never undergone proper human trials. The World Anti-Doping Agency has banned these compounds, noting they lack approval from any health regulatory authority and are intended only as research tools. A growing problem Yet their use appears to be spreading rapidly. A 2014 study found that 8.2% of gym members used performance-enhancing drugs. By 2024, a comprehensive review suggested the figure could be as high as 29%. Perhaps most concerning: only 38% of users recognised the health risks involved. These experimental compounds represent a dangerous gamble with long-term health. Unlike approved drugs, they haven't undergone the rigorous testing required to understand their safety profile in humans. While they may promise enhanced performance and healing, they deliver it at a cost that users may not fully understand until it's too late. The appeal is understandable - who wouldn't want faster healing and better muscle tone? But the reality is these substances remain experimental for good reason. Until proper human trials are conducted, users are essentially volunteering as test subjects in an uncontrolled experiment with their own bodies. (The Conversation)
