Thomas Kruse and Jesper Lau, two chemists at Novo Nordisk, engineered semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, drugs that have transformed weight loss treatment worldwide. Men's Health recently interviewed the pair about their groundbreaking work.
Semaglutide belongs to a class of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists. These drugs mimic glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone that regulates blood sugar and appetite. When injected, semaglutide slows stomach emptying, increases feelings of fullness, and reduces hunger signals in the brain. The medication was originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes but researchers discovered its dramatic weight-loss effects during clinical trials.
Kruse and Lau's work builds on decades of peptide research at Novo Nordisk. The chemists refined the molecular structure of GLP-1 to make it stable enough for once-weekly injections rather than daily shots. This durability breakthrough made the drug practical for real-world use.
The impact has been staggering. Ozempic and Wegovy help patients lose 15 to 22 percent of their body weight in clinical trials. Demand has far outpaced supply, creating shortages that frustrated both diabetics needing the medication and people using it off-label for weight loss.
Their discovery raises questions about how we treat obesity. Previously, weight loss relied primarily on diet, exercise, and bariatric surgery. Semaglutide offers a pharmaceutical tool that works through biology rather than willpower alone. Some view this as liberation from the shame-based approach to weight loss. Others worry about long-term safety data or whether patients can sustain results after stopping medication.
Kruse and Lau's creation has spawned competitors.