How Gila monsters played a role in creating GLP-1 drugs

TUCSON, Ariz. (InvestigateTV) - You’re probably familiar with ever-so-popular weight loss medications like Ozempic.Initially made for those with diabetes, the drug is being prescribed to those hoping to lose weight.But we wouldn’t have GLP-1 drugs without one of the most gorgeous creatures in Arizona: the Gila monster.“They are the largest native lizard to the United States; they are definitely the largest lizard here in Arizona. Arizona is the epicenter of where you find these guys. And they’re just used to living sort of a slow lifestyle,” said Stephen Cumberworth with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.Gila monsters are an iconic creature of the southwestern desert. And apparently, the scaly reptiles held the secret to modern weight loss.“They have a slow metabolism, and they can go on two, three, four meals in a given year and usually do just fine,” Cumberworth said.In the late 1980s, scientists started looking into a specific Gila monster gene.“But I think later towards the end of t