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GLP-1 Medicine Meets MariTide and Oprah Changes the Frame

FDA Reversals, Pharma Momentum, and Why Patients Can’t Afford to Be Silent


Originally posted on obesity.news on January 13th, 2026


GLP-1, Maritide, and Oprah, A Week That Felt Different at OTP


A lot happened in the broader GLP-1 world this week, but what stood out to me wasn’t just the headlines. It was how Dave kept returning to the same core question on air: what does this actually mean for patients? Whether he was reacting to regulatory shifts, pharma claims, or mainstream voices entering the conversation, he kept grounding it back in lived experience instead of speculation.


Coming back after the holiday break, we were tired. Anyone else experience that? Less sun, shorter days, the big sigh after the busy season, and the dopamine crash. When all of the technology he’s spent hundreds of hours establishing and fine tuning were glitching, he had to let out a raspberry while the opening credits rolled on Monday’s live. Click here if you want a laugh.


Even in the midst of the seasonal lull, Dave is excited about expanding and is always bursting with ideas and has an ability to make thoughtful and visionary connections about what is going on in the macro view of the industry and synthesize that down to the micro and how it impacts all of us, day to day. The new building is a leap of faith and I have added chief encourager and high fiver to my job title. It’s a big dream but this community is SO IMPORTANT and we need to continue this work together.


Half of my job is listening to Dave as he ponders the complexities. There’s always a barrage of information and then the urge to rush to “cover everything” but “everything” is a lot more than it use to be. The industry is broader and deeper and Dave is taking special care to work on pacing.


Housekeeping: We Cut the Programmatic Ads


You spoke, we listened. Dave will now only deliver the ads that he personally shares during his live videos.




Major highlights in today’s episode:

  • The FDA Walked It Back. Pharma Pushed It Forward. Patients Are Still Expected to Stay Quiet.

  • The FDA Asked Novo + Lilly to Remove Suicidality Warnings From GLP-1 Labels

  • Ro + Amgen: Studying Real-World Barriers to GLP-1 Access

  • JPM 2026 Headlines: MariTide Claims, Oral Lilly Timeline Shifts, and “Frictionless” Access

  • Amgen CEO on MariTide: “Weight loss maintained up to two years”

  • Lilly’s Orforglipron: Now “as early as Q2 2026”

  • Compounding: Federal + State Moves That Could Reshape Access

  • Novo Nordisk CEO: “Up to 1.5 million U.S. patients are using compounded

    GLP-1s”

  • Oprah + Serena Williams: Mainstream Conversations Are Catching Up



OTP Community question: Have you noticed any mental health changes on treatment — positive or negative — and did dose changes impact that?


Here is the Oprah + Serena Williams conversation and Oprah’s new book:



[This is an OTP Amazon affiliate link]


Why This Week Matters (and What You Can Do)

The through-line is simple:

  • Regulators can reverse course when evidence supports it. (FDA label change.)

  • Pharma can speed-run announcements and narratives to shape 2026. (JPM.)

  • Legislators can introduce bills that sound like “safety” but function like restriction. (Compounding.)

  • And patients are constantly expected to be the quiet variable.

Not here.


If you want one small action that has outsized impact:

  • Sign the petition (and share it with one person who relies on compound access).

  • Comment on the Change.org video when it drops.

  • Train the algorithm: like, subscribe, five-star review, it sounds cheesy, but it genuinely affects reach.


Keep the Conversation Going


  1. Have you experienced mood changes (good or bad) on GLP-1 or GLP-1+GIP treatment?

  2. If you’ve ever used compounded meds, what was the barrier that pushed you there: cost, shortage, access, continuity?

  3. What’s one thing you wish lawmakers understood about chronic disease treatment?

Drop your answers in the comments. We read them, we bring them into the next episodes, and they help steer what we cover.


Not medical advice. This is news commentary and patient-centric education. Talk with your clinician about your specific situation.


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