What our claims rest on
Evidence-based research
Everything we publish about GLP-1 medication is written against named sources, and this page is the index of them: 51 distinct trials, agency documents and clinical guidelines, cited 84 times across 24 explainers, published between 2011 and 2026. 27 of them carry a PubMed identifier you can look up directly.
This page is about the medicine. If you are comparing the companies that prescribe it, that is a different question and a different page — every one of the 508 providers we review is graded on the six weighted factors in our methodology, and every WeighScore is the published weighted mean of the six factors we show.
The evidence, by question
Five questions the research actually answers, and the work we have published on each. The number beside a piece is how many sources it cites.
The molecules, head to head
2 pieces · 7 citationsWhat the trial data actually shows about semaglutide against tirzepatide, how much of the difference survives outside a trial population, and why the same dose produces such a wide range of individual results.
- 4Semaglutide vs. Tirzepatide: What the Trials ShowA head-to-head on semaglutide and tirzepatide — the STEP-1, SURMOUNT-1, and SURPASS-2 numbers, mechanism, and how to weigh them.
- 3Why GLP-1 Weight Loss Varies So Much From Person to PersonThe headline trial averages hide a wide spread of real outcomes — and a 2026 genetic study helps explain why. What the data says about plateaus.
Compounded versus brand-name
4 pieces · 17 citationsThe regulatory position on compounded GLP-1s, what FDA does and does not review, the specific statutory trigger that decides whether a compounded copy is lawful, and what the evidence supports about equivalence and risk — including oral and sublingual formulations.
- 3Compounded vs. Brand-Name GLP-1: What Actually DiffersA side-by-side on compounded and brand-name GLP-1 medications — approval status, oversight, sourcing, and how to weigh the trade-offs.
- 3Is Compounded Semaglutide Legit and Safe?What legit means for compounded semaglutide: 503A vs 503B, FDA approval status, LegitScript certification, and how to vet a provider.
- 6Is Compounded GLP-1 Legal? Why It Comes Down to the FDA Shortage ListThe federal rule — 503A vs. 503B and the 'essentially a copy' clause — that decides whether compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide is lawful, and why it moves.
- 5Oral vs. Injectable GLP-1: What Actually AbsorbsRybelsus proves oral semaglutide can work — but only with a specific absorption enhancer and a strict ritual. Here's what that means for compounded oral GLP-1.
What happens when you stay on it, and when you stop
3 pieces · 15 citationsWeight regain after discontinuation, what the body-composition data shows about lean mass along the way, and the cardiovascular, kidney, and sleep-apnea evidence that makes staying on treatment a bigger question than the scale alone.
- 8Do You Regain Weight After Stopping a GLP-1? What the Trials ShowThe trial evidence on what happens to your weight after stopping semaglutide or tirzepatide — and why a provider's maintenance plan belongs in the score.
- 3Does Semaglutide or Tirzepatide Cause Muscle Loss?The actual DXA body-composition data on GLP-1s: how much of the weight lost is lean mass, why the proportion isn't unusual, and what a good provider does.
- 4What Else GLP-1 Drugs Do, Beyond Weight LossGLP-1s have trial-proven benefits for the heart, kidneys, and sleep apnea — real numbers from SELECT, FLOW, SURMOUNT-OSA, and STEP-HFpEF, and why it matters.
What it costs
2 pieces · 4 citationsCash prices without insurance, the conditions attached to the cheapest advertised figures, and why insurance coverage for the same molecule is so inconsistent.
- 1What Compounded GLP-1 Costs Per Month — and Why the Number MovesHow compounded GLP-1 pricing really works: intro rates, dose step-ups, membership splits, and how to normalize any offer to one figure.
- 3Does Insurance Cover GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs?Why GLP-1 insurance coverage is so inconsistent, the actual law behind the weight-loss exclusion, and what real-world data shows happens when coverage lapses.
How we grade, and how to choose
2 pieces · 4 citationsThe rubric behind every WeighScore on this site, and how the evidence above turns into a decision about a company.
- 2How the WeighScore Is CalculatedThe six weighted dimensions behind every GLP-1 Scorecard grade, how they roll up to a 0–100 WeighScore, and what never moves the number.
- 2How to Choose a GLP-1 Provider: A Six-Point ChecklistA data-first checklist for picking a GLP-1 telehealth provider — price, dosing, oversight, monitoring, fulfillment, and contract terms.
Same molecule, different label
2 pieces · 7 citationsOzempic and Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound — identical active ingredients under separate FDA approvals, with different indications, dose ceilings, and insurance logic.
- 3Ozempic vs. Wegovy: Same Drug, Different FDA ApprovalOzempic and Wegovy are both semaglutide, but they're separate FDA approvals with different indications, dose ceilings, and labels. Here's exactly what differs.
- 4Mounjaro vs. Zepbound: Same Drug, Different FDA ApprovalMounjaro and Zepbound are both tirzepatide at the same dose ceiling, but separate FDA approvals for different uses. Here's what differs and what doesn't.
Side effects and safety signals
2 pieces · 10 citationsThe GI rates, boxed warning, gallbladder and retinopathy data straight from the trials and FDA labels, plus the newest evidence on GLP-1s and alcohol.
- 8GLP-1 Side Effects: What the Trials and FDA Labels Actually ReportThe real side-effect data behind semaglutide and tirzepatide — GI rates, the boxed warning, gallbladder risk, retinopathy, and compounded-dosing errors.
- 2GLP-1s and Alcohol: What the New Trials ShowTwo real randomized trials found semaglutide reduced drinking and craving — but it isn't FDA-approved for alcohol use disorder. The evidence and what it means.
Checked but not graded
7 pieces · 20 citationsCompanies we ran the price and disclosure checks over without putting a WeighScore on them: what each charges on its month-to-month rung, where its own pages contradict each other, and what a grade would need before one could be issued.
- 3The Edit, Checked but Not Graded: $209 Semaglutide, $309 TirzepatideThe Edit publishes a GLP-1 ladder whose every prepay division checks out — and a headline price that is a first-order promo. What our August 2026 pass found.
- 4Pepti, Checked but Not Graded: $99 Semaglutide and a Ladder That Renders NowherePepti prices semaglutide at $99 flat at every dose — while its own production data carries a $299-$449 per-dose ladder nothing renders. We could not settle it.
- 4Trellis Vitality, Checked but Not Graded: One Complete Ladder and Four Missing OnesTrellis publishes the best-formed GLP-1 price table of the seven providers we checked in August 2026 — and four other programs with no ladder behind the number.
- 2Auren Rx, Checked but Not Graded: Two Rungs on Every SKU, and No List of StatesAuren Rx prints a subscribe price and a no-commitment price on every product — then never says which states it serves. Our August 2026 pass, in full.
- 3Vyvron, Checked but Not Graded: Thirteen Charges a Year, and No Monthly TirzepatideVyvron prints prices per month and bills every four weeks — 13 charges a year — and its cheapest tirzepatide entry is $790 up front. August 2026 findings.
- 2Rehydra+ Wellness, Checked but Not Graded: A $119 Membership With a $714 FloorEvery Rehydra+ GLP-1 membership is six months and explicitly non-cancelable, so its advertised monthly rates are really $714 to $2,514 commitments.
- 2Lighter You, Checked but Not Graded: A Real Company With No Observable PriceLighter You names four pharmacies with street addresses and publishes a $99 headline that matches no program on the site. Both things are true. August 2026.
Every source we cite
All 51 of them, newest first, each linked to its original and to the piece of ours that leans on it. Nothing on this site is sourced to a study we cannot point you at.
1.Adherence and Persistence with GLP-1-Based Therapies: International Real-World Evidence and the Role of Nutritional and Lifestyle Support — A Narrative Review — Dziewierz A, Siudak Z. Nutrients, 2026. PMID 42280404.
2.FDA Drug Shortages Database — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA.gov — Drug Shortages, 2026.
Cited in Is Compounded GLP-1 Legal? Why It Comes Down to the FDA Shortage List.
3.Genetic predictors of GLP1 receptor agonist weight loss and side effects — Su QJ, Ashenhurst JR, Xu W, et al.. Nature, 2026. PMID 41951734.
Cited in Why GLP-1 Weight Loss Varies So Much From Person to Person.
4.GLP-1 memberships — tiers and terms — RealHealth Ventures PLLS dba Rehydra+ Wellness. rehydraplus.com, 2026.
Cited in Rehydra+ Wellness, Checked but Not Graded: A $119 Membership With a $714 Floor.
5.GLP-1 program pricing — Trellis Vitality. trellisvitality.com, 2026.
Cited in Trellis Vitality, Checked but Not Graded: One Complete Ladder and Four Missing Ones.
6.Longevity program products and pricing — Vyvron, LLC. vyvron.com, 2026.
Cited in Vyvron, Checked but Not Graded: Thirteen Charges a Year, and No Monthly Tirzepatide.
7.Medical nutrition in the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) era: Protein strategies, micronutrient monitoring, and lean mass preservation — Arslan S. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 2026. PMID 42036071.
Cited in Does Semaglutide or Tirzepatide Cause Muscle Loss?.
8.NAD+ injection cost — Trellis Vitality. trellisvitality.com — Living Vitality Blog, 2026.
Cited in Trellis Vitality, Checked but Not Graded: One Complete Ladder and Four Missing Ones.
9.NPPES NPI Registry — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov, 2026.
Cited in The Edit, Checked but Not Graded: $209 Semaglutide, $309 Tirzepatide, Trellis Vitality, Checked but Not Graded: One Complete Ladder and Four Missing Ones.
10.Once-weekly semaglutide versus placebo in patients with alcohol use disorder and comorbid obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial — Klausen MK, Justesen SK, Pedersen JN, et al.. The Lancet, 2026. PMID 42070571.
11.OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection — Highlights of Prescribing Information — U.S. Food and Drug Administration; National Library of Medicine (DailyMed). DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2026.
Cited in Ozempic vs. Wegovy: Same Drug, Different FDA Approval.
12.Product pricing — subscribe and monthly no-commitment rungs — Hades Capital LLC dba Auren RX. aurenrx.com, 2026.
Cited in Auren Rx, Checked but Not Graded: Two Rungs on Every SKU, and No List of States.
13.Products and pricing — The Edit Health LLC. theedithealth.com, 2026.
Cited in The Edit, Checked but Not Graded: $209 Semaglutide, $309 Tirzepatide.
14.Program cards, FAQ and legal pages — Lighter You, LLC. lighteryou.co, 2026.
Cited in Lighter You, Checked but Not Graded: A Real Company With No Observable Price.
15.Refund policy — pepti LLC. hellopepti.com — Legal, 2026.
Cited in Pepti, Checked but Not Graded: $99 Semaglutide and a Ladder That Renders Nowhere.
16.Semaglutide cost — all doses, one flat monthly price — pepti LLC. hellopepti.com, 2026.
Cited in Pepti, Checked but Not Graded: $99 Semaglutide and a Ladder That Renders Nowhere.
17.State availability — pepti LLC. hellopepti.com — Legal, 2026.
Cited in Pepti, Checked but Not Graded: $99 Semaglutide and a Ladder That Renders Nowhere.
18.Warning Letters — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA.gov — Compliance Actions and Activities, 2026.
Cited in The Edit, Checked but Not Graded: $209 Semaglutide, $309 Tirzepatide, Pepti, Checked but Not Graded: $99 Semaglutide and a Ladder That Renders Nowhere, Trellis Vitality, Checked but Not Graded: One Complete Ladder and Four Missing Ones, Auren Rx, Checked but Not Graded: Two Rungs on Every SKU, and No List of States, Vyvron, Checked but Not Graded: Thirteen Charges a Year, and No Monthly Tirzepatide, Rehydra+ Wellness, Checked but Not Graded: A $119 Membership With a $714 Floor, Lighter You, Checked but Not Graded: A Real Company With No Observable Price.
19.Weight loss program tiers and billing disclosure — Vyvron, LLC. vyvron.com, 2026.
Cited in Vyvron, Checked but Not Graded: Thirteen Charges a Year, and No Monthly Tirzepatide.
20.Body composition changes during weight reduction with tirzepatide in the SURMOUNT-1 study of adults with obesity or overweight — Look M, Dunn JP, Kushner RF, et al.. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2025. PMID 39996356.
Cited in Does Semaglutide or Tirzepatide Cause Muscle Loss?.
21.Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial — Hendershot CS, Bremmer MP, Paladino MB, et al.. JAMA Psychiatry, 2025. PMID 39937469.
22.Treating class 2-3 obesity with glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists: A 2-year real-world cohort study — Abdel-Bary M, Brody A, Schmitt J, et al.. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2025. PMID 40104874.
23.Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA.gov — Human Drug Compounding, 2024.
Cited in Compounded vs. Brand-Name GLP-1: What Actually Differs, What Compounded GLP-1 Costs Per Month — and Why the Number Moves, Is Compounded Semaglutide Legit and Safe?, Is Compounded GLP-1 Legal? Why It Comes Down to the FDA Shortage List.
24.Continued Treatment With Tirzepatide for Maintenance of Weight Reduction in Adults With Obesity (SURMOUNT-4) — Aronne LJ, Sattar N, Horn DB, et al.. JAMA, 2024. PMID 38078870.
Cited in Do You Regain Weight After Stopping a GLP-1? What the Trials Show.
25.Effects of Semaglutide on Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (FLOW) — Perkovic V, Tuttle KR, Rossing P, et al.. New England Journal of Medicine, 2024. PMID 38785209.
26.FD&C Act Provisions that Apply to Human Drug Compounding (Sections 503A and 503B) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA.gov — Human Drug Compounding, 2024.
Cited in Compounded vs. Brand-Name GLP-1: What Actually Differs, Is Compounded Semaglutide Legit and Safe?, Is Compounded GLP-1 Legal? Why It Comes Down to the FDA Shortage List.
27.Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist-based agents and weight loss composition: Filling the gaps — Dubin RL, Heymsfield SB, Ravussin E, Greenway FL. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2024. PMID 39344838.
Cited in Does Semaglutide or Tirzepatide Cause Muscle Loss?.
28.Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: a narrative review of clinical pharmacology and implications for peri-operative practice — Milder DA, Milder TY, Liang SS, et al.. Anaesthesia, 2024. PMID 38740566.
Cited in GLP-1 Side Effects: What the Trials and FDA Labels Actually Report.
29.Tirzepatide for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity (SURMOUNT-OSA) — Malhotra A, Grunstein RR, Fietze I, et al.. New England Journal of Medicine, 2024. PMID 38912654.
Cited in Mounjaro vs. Zepbound: Same Drug, Different FDA Approval, What Else GLP-1 Drugs Do, Beyond Weight Loss.
30.21 U.S.C. §353a — Pharmacy compounding — Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives. United States Code, 2023 Edition, 2023.
Cited in Is Compounded GLP-1 Legal? Why It Comes Down to the FDA Shortage List.
31.21 U.S.C. §353b — Outsourcing facilities — Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives. United States Code, 2023 Edition, 2023.
Cited in Is Compounded GLP-1 Legal? Why It Comes Down to the FDA Shortage List.
32.42 U.S.C. §1396r-8(d)(2)(A) — Limitations on coverage of drugs (agents when used for anorexia, weight loss, or weight gain) — Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives. United States Code, 2023 Edition, 2023.
33.Administration errors of compounded semaglutide reported to a poison control center — Case series — Lambson JE, Flegal SC, Johnson AR. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 2023. PMID 37392810.
Cited in GLP-1 Side Effects: What the Trials and FDA Labels Actually Report, Is Compounded GLP-1 Legal? Why It Comes Down to the FDA Shortage List.
34.Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes (SELECT) — Lincoff AM, Brown-Frandsen K, Colhoun HM, et al.. New England Journal of Medicine, 2023. PMID 37952131.
Cited in Do You Regain Weight After Stopping a GLP-1? What the Trials Show, What Else GLP-1 Drugs Do, Beyond Weight Loss.
35.Semaglutide in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Obesity (STEP-HFpEF) — Kosiborod MN, Abildstrøm SZ, Borlaug BA, et al.. New England Journal of Medicine, 2023. PMID 37622681.
36.ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) injection — Highlights of Prescribing Information — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Drugs@FDA (Application No. 217806), 2023.
Cited in GLP-1 Side Effects: What the Trials and FDA Labels Actually Report, Mounjaro vs. Zepbound: Same Drug, Different FDA Approval.
37.Association of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Use With Risk of Gallbladder and Biliary Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials — He L, Wang J, Ping F, et al.. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2022. PMID 35344001.
Cited in GLP-1 Side Effects: What the Trials and FDA Labels Actually Report.
38.MOUNJARO (tirzepatide) injection — Highlights of Prescribing Information — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Drugs@FDA (Application No. 215866), 2022.
Cited in Mounjaro vs. Zepbound: Same Drug, Different FDA Approval.
39.Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-1) — Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, et al.. New England Journal of Medicine, 2022. PMID 35658024.
Cited in How to Choose a GLP-1 Provider: A Six-Point Checklist, Semaglutide vs. Tirzepatide: What the Trials Show, How the WeighScore Is Calculated, Do You Regain Weight After Stopping a GLP-1? What the Trials Show, GLP-1 Side Effects: What the Trials and FDA Labels Actually Report, Mounjaro vs. Zepbound: Same Drug, Different FDA Approval, Why GLP-1 Weight Loss Varies So Much From Person to Person.
40.Two-year effects of semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 5) — Garvey WT, Batterham RL, Bhatta M, et al.. Nature Medicine, 2022. PMID 36216945.
Cited in Do You Regain Weight After Stopping a GLP-1? What the Trials Show.
41.Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension — Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Davies M, et al.. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2022. PMID 35441470.
Cited in Do You Regain Weight After Stopping a GLP-1? What the Trials Show.
42.Effect of Continued Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo on Weight Loss Maintenance (STEP 4) — Rubino D, Abrahamsson N, Davies M, et al.. JAMA, 2021. PMID 33755728.
Cited in Do You Regain Weight After Stopping a GLP-1? What the Trials Show.
43.Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1) — Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, et al.. New England Journal of Medicine, 2021. PMID 33567185.
Cited in How to Choose a GLP-1 Provider: A Six-Point Checklist, Semaglutide vs. Tirzepatide: What the Trials Show, How the WeighScore Is Calculated, Do You Regain Weight After Stopping a GLP-1? What the Trials Show, GLP-1 Side Effects: What the Trials and FDA Labels Actually Report, Ozempic vs. Wegovy: Same Drug, Different FDA Approval, Oral vs. Injectable GLP-1: What Actually Absorbs, Why GLP-1 Weight Loss Varies So Much From Person to Person.
44.Tirzepatide versus Semaglutide Once Weekly in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (SURPASS-2) — Frías JP, Davies MJ, Rosenstock J, et al.. New England Journal of Medicine, 2021. PMID 34170647.
45.WEGOVY (semaglutide) injection — Highlights of Prescribing Information — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Drugs@FDA (Application No. 215256), 2021.
Cited in Compounded vs. Brand-Name GLP-1: What Actually Differs, Semaglutide vs. Tirzepatide: What the Trials Show, Is Compounded Semaglutide Legit and Safe?, GLP-1 Side Effects: What the Trials and FDA Labels Actually Report, Ozempic vs. Wegovy: Same Drug, Different FDA Approval.
46.Oral Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (PIONEER 6) — Husain M, Birkenfeld AL, Donsmark M, et al.. New England Journal of Medicine, 2019. PMID 31185157.
47.PIONEER 1: Randomized Clinical Trial of the Efficacy and Safety of Oral Semaglutide Monotherapy in Comparison With Placebo in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes — Aroda VR, Rosenstock J, Terauchi Y, et al.. Diabetes Care, 2019. PMID 31186300.
48.RYBELSUS (semaglutide) tablets — Highlights of Prescribing Information — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Drugs@FDA (Application No. 213051), 2019.
49.Transcellular stomach absorption of a derivatized glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist — Buckley ST, Bækdal TA, Vegge A, et al.. Science Translational Medicine, 2018. PMID 30429357.
50.Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (SUSTAIN-6) — Marso SP, Bain SC, Consoli A, et al.. New England Journal of Medicine, 2016. PMID 27633186.
Cited in GLP-1 Side Effects: What the Trials and FDA Labels Actually Report.
51.Long-term persistence of hormonal adaptations to weight loss — Sumithran P, Prendergast LA, Delbridge E, et al.. New England Journal of Medicine, 2011. PMID 22029981.
Cited in Do You Regain Weight After Stopping a GLP-1? What the Trials Show.