Weight loss drugs come at a cost, and it is not the MRP you read on the packaging. There are practical complications that come into play after you get them—refrigeration, storage cost and their requirement to get injected in the body from time to time. All this imposes a significant obstacle to their accessibility and availability. But now, pharma firms have a solution to this, which is their availability in the form of pills.

But How Feasible Are The Pills?

Many pharmaceutical firms have struggled to package GLP-1 agonists and other peptide-based drugs in pill form because peptides, chain of amino acids, that are building blocks of protein are fragile. Therefore, a drug made of that can get into quickly and dissolve before it has a chance to act. Novo Nordisk's Rybelsus, which is FDA approved for managing Type 2 Diabetes, meets the requirements but requires specific dietary instructions and doesn't seem to be as effective for weight loss as the injectables.

Eli Lilly Announces Oral Diabetes Pills

Its rival firm, Eli Lilly, last week, announced its weight loss pill Orforglipron, could prove to be a breakthrough in a class of drugs called GLP-1 drug agonists, which have become popular for weight loss and treating diabetes. The solution that Eli Lilly found was to ditch peptides and find an incredibly small molecule to mimic them, which can bind to the same "pocket" on the GLP-1 receptor that the peptides would target. Because the molecule is so small, it's absorbed into the stomach wall before it can be degraded.

The announcement was followed by a clinical trial, which involved over 550 people with type 2 diabetes who had inadequate glycemic control through diet and exercise alone. Orforglipron—at its highest dose—reduced body weight by an average of 16 pounds (7.9%) in their case. The participants continued to lose weight through the end of the 40-week trial. The study also met its primary goal: lowering A1C levels more effectively than a placebo. Participants saw average reductions of 1.3% to 1.6% from a baseline of 8%.

The results of the trial put orforglipron roughly on par with Ozempic and Mounjaro, though some analysts were expecting a blood sugar level reduction up to 2.1 per cent, which is what Ozempic accomplished in trials.

Is Orforglipron The Future?

Some are optimistic that the small molecule approach behind developing orforglipron will be a game changer. "In the next 4 or 5 years, this field will mature and more patients ultimately should be able to get these medicines," Kyle Sloop, a molecular biologist at Lilly Research Laboratories, told Science.

"Having new oral agents that lower glucose but also meaningfully lower weight well beyond levels seen with most existing diabetes therapies is critical to future type 2 diabetes care," echoed Naveed Sattar, professor of cardiometabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, in a statement. "Of course, one caveat is that we do not know the effects of this newer therapy on cardiovascular outcomes but this will be forthcoming in future trials."

In India, the tradition of marrying within the kin is known as endogamy. It has been a cultural cornerstone. However, this widespread practice, while deeply rooted in societal norms, is increasingly linked to a surge of inherited health conditions across the country.

As per the National Family Health Survey 2005-06, only 10% marriages in India were inter-caste and just 2.1% were interreligious. This highlights how the majority of people practice endogamy. Even, a recent genome mapping study from India's Genome Project confirmed that trend remained strong. All 83 population groups studied showed high levels of endogamy, which has led to population specific genetic mutations and disorders.

How Endogamy Contributes to Genetic Disorders?

Endogamy has increased the chances of genetic disorders, especially when it overlaps with consanguineous marriages, which means marriages between close relatives. This is much more common in the southern parts of India.

Doctors have explained that when both parents carry the same recessive gene mutation, their children have a greater risk of inheriting two copies of the faulty gene. This is also the case with thalassemia cases in India. This can also lead to the manifestation of genetic disorders, even if the parents are asymptomatic carriers.

Over generations, such selective mating within communities has further allowed rare mutations to persist and concentrate. This is resulted to what researchers refer to as "population-specific mutations". These can affect various bodily systems, including the heart, joints, and reproductive health.

What All Disorders Could Happen?

As per the study published in Nature Genetics, Dr Kumaraswamy Thangaraj, Principal Investigator of the Genome India Project, highlighted how these mutations are directly linked to early-onset cardiac issues, particularly in South India.

Unlike the North, where cardiac problems come later in life, due to lifestyle issues, people in southern parts of India are affected by population-specific mutations from a younger age.

Another health concern that the study highlighted was ankylosing spondylitis, which is a type of arthritis that affects the spine and is more common in genetically homogenous populations.

A different study in journal Nature also revealed that consanguineous marriages raise the risk of spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, neonatal and child mortality.

Another study published in the Journal of Genetics and Genomics in 2005, titled: Endogamy and high prevalence of deleterious mutations in India: evidence from strong founder events, reads: "Several Indian populations have experienced significant founder events due to strict endogamy. However, the clinical implications of it remain underexplored. Therefore, we perform whole-exome sequencing of 281 individuals from four South Indian populations, characterized by high IBD scores. Our study reveals a high inbreeding rate of 59% across the populations. We identify ∼29.2% of the variants that are exclusively present in a single population and uncover 1284 unreported exonic variants, underscoring the underrepresentation of Indian populations in global databases."

What Can Be Done to Avoid This?

Experts from time and again have stressed the need for widespread education and awareness as well as genetic counselling. Promoting inter-community marriages can also dilute the concentration of harmful genetic mutations, and also reduce the incidence of hereditary diseases.

Doctors can also play a role in advising couples on their health risks, especially if it is with regards to consanguineous marriages and encouraging genetic screening before marriage or conception.

The Genome India Project offers hope for future solutions. By mapping the genomes of more than 10,000 individuals, the project aims to identify mutations that are widespread due to endogamy. According to Dr. Thangaraj, these findings could help make diagnostics and treatments more affordable and tailored to India’s unique genetic landscape.

One organ donor can save eight lives—and recently, this life-saving truth was reinforced by a powerful act of generosity. A 71-year-old woman from Delhi, Surinder Kaur, gave a new lease of life to three individuals waiting for critical organ transplants. Declared brain dead at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, due to a brain haemorrhage, her family made the decision to donate her organs, including both kidneys and liver.

Following the family’s consent, a team of doctors at the hospital successfully harvested her organs. Her donation benefited three individuals, each of whom had been waiting for a life-saving transplant. One of her kidneys was allocated to a 59-year-old patient with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who had been on the transplant waitlist since February 2020. The second kidney went to a 53-year-old CKD patient who registered for transplant in April 2025. The liver was transplanted into a 42-year-old patient suffering from end-stage liver disease, who had been waiting since January 2025.

Here Are Details Of Her Case

Dr. Mukesh Kumar, Director & Head of Neurology at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, shared the details of the case. He said, "Kaur was brought in emergency with an altered level of consciousness, had multiple episodes of vomiting, uneasiness, and excessive sweating. After a thorough investigation, it was found that she had a balloon-like bulge in one of the blood vessels in the brain that was prone to rupture. The family was informed about the critical clinical condition and prognosis of the patient, and the urgent need for surgery under high-risk. During the procedure, her brain stopped responding, and she was then declared brain dead. After discussion and counselling, the family made the selfless, noble decision to donate her organs. Through this noble act, she will continue to live on, bringing hope and life to others in need."

"With countless patients awaiting kidney transplantation, this act of organ donation has provided a new lease of life to two families. Timely retrieval and transplant from brain-dead donors are crucial, and this selfless gesture highlights the urgent need for awareness and action in organ donation," Dr. Anant Kumar, Chairman, Urology and Kidney Transplant, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, added.

Here Are Rules Of Organ Donation In India

• Age Limit: Anyone above 18 can register as an organ donor.
• Consent: Consent from the donor or family is mandatory.
• Brain Death Certification: Organ donation after death requires certified brain death by a panel of doctors.
• No Commercial Involvement: Organ trade is illegal; donations must be altruistic.
• Living Donation: Only close relatives can donate organs while alive, with proper authorisation.
• Medical Suitability: Donors must be medically evaluated for suitability.
• Registration: Individuals can register via official organ donation platforms like NOTTO (National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation).

Testicular cancer is a relatively rare form of cancer that develops when cancerous cells form in the testicles. Despite being uncommon, it is the most frequent cancer affecting young adult men, and it often goes undetected due to myths, stigma, and a general lack of awareness.

Some of the common symptoms include a hard lump in a testicle, a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, swelling of the scrotum, pain in the lower back, swollen lymph nodes, and unexplained weight loss. However, many individuals delay seeking treatment due to embarrassment or misconceptions about the disease.

What Are Symptoms Of Testicular Cancer?

One of the most common myths is that testicular cancer, like other cancers, primarily affects the elderly. In reality, testicular cancer usually affects the younger population. It is the most common cancer among young adults, particularly those aged 15 to 45.

Another widespread myth is that smoking and alcohol consumption are leading causes of testicular cancer. While these factors can contribute to overall health risks, they are not direct causes of this specific cancer. Key risk factors include:

• Undescended testis: During fetal development, testicles form inside the abdomen and descend into the scrotum before birth. If this descent is disrupted, the condition is known as an undescended testis. This abnormal location increases the risk of germ cells becoming cancerous.
• Family history: Having a father or sibling with testicular cancer increases the risk. Additionally, a history of cancer in one testicle raises the likelihood of developing it in the other.
• Testicular dysfunction: Various conditions affecting the normal function of the testicles can also increase cancer risk.

Testicular Cancer Does Not Cause Severe Pain

Pain is often thought to be an obvious warning sign, but this, too, is a myth. Testicular cancer does not typically cause severe pain. Instead, symptoms such as enlargement or a lump in the testis, sometimes accompanied by a dull ache or dragging sensation, are more common. In advanced stages, lumps in the abdomen or swelling near the neck—particularly above the left collarbone—may occur due to the spread of cancer to the lymph nodes.

There is also a misconception that advanced imaging, like PET or MRI scans is required to detect testicular cancer. In reality, a simple ultrasound of the testicles is often sufficient to identify a tumour. In addition, blood tests measuring tumour markers—such as serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)—are valuable tools in raising suspicion and gauging the extent of disease. Contrast-enhanced CT scans of the abdomen and chest are used to determine if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Due to lingering stigma and misinformation, many men delay seeking help for symptoms. But early diagnosis significantly improves the chances of successful treatment. Awareness, education, and regular self-examinations are key to catching testicular cancer early. By dispelling myths and fostering open conversations about men’s health, we can encourage timely action and potentially save lives.