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New research suggests GLP-1 drugs may help address fertility issues in men. Scientists at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire and Warwick Medical School found improvements in testosterone levels, sperm count, and sperm size and shape. Warwick Medical School’s Dr. Pratibha Natesh said the findings support treating underlying conditions rather than relying on hormone therapy. (Taub, 6/22)

As the federal government expands access to weight-loss drugs for Medicare patients, Walmart and its Sam’s Club subsidiary are ramping up support services for beneficiaries who may be seeking the medications. The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program, which the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is launching July 1, will allow eligible Part D beneficiaries access to certain GLP-1 drugs often used for weight management. (DeSilva, 6/22)

Millions of Americans with obesity are eagerly awaiting a powerful new drug from Eli Lilly called retatrutide, which has demonstrated bariatric-surgery levels of weight loss. Some aren’t even waiting for approval from the Food and Drug Administration, instead racing to acquire it through sketchy means. But STAT has learned that Eli Lilly and the FDA have allowed one person to gain access to the drug through the FDA’s “compassionate use” program, a pathway that gives patients with serious and immediately life-threatening medical issues access to experimental treatments. (Lawrence, 6/23)

A recent trial suggests apitegromab, when used alongside tirzepatide, may help preserve lean body mass while supporting overall weight loss. The analysis, published in Nature, found apitegromab — a monoclonal antibody — targets myostatin to help maintain muscle mass when combined with the GLP-1 medication. Apitegromab works by inhibiting the activation of myostatin, a protein that limits skeletal muscle growth, according to Medscape. (Taub, 6/22)

The GLP-1 medication tirzepatide may change how the body uses energy, according to new research. The study, presented at the Endocrine Society’s ENDO 2026 meeting, found tirzepatide activates brown adipose tissue. The drug is also sold under the brand names Zepbound and Mounjaro. (Taub, 6/22)

Pfizer said Monday that an experimental drug it hoped could replace a widely used chemotherapy in one of the most common forms of lung cancer fell short in a clinical trial. (Herper, 6/22)

Josua Lottering stepped out the airport doors in the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka, and doubled over in coughing spasms. Cystic fibrosis has sharply reduced his lung capacity, and the humid, smoggy air hit him hard. Yet even as coughs shook his body, he was delighted. Josua, 18, had made the long journey from the Western Cape in South Africa, to Dhaka, with his mother to purchase a year’s supply of a new generic version of a drug that has transformed the lives of cystic fibrosis patients in North America and Europe but that he and his family cannot afford back home. (Nolen, 6/22)