Melbourne Zoo welcomes newly hatched 'monsters' that gave us Ozempic

Melbourne Zoo welcomed eight newly hatched Gila monsters, a lizard with a surprising link to Ozempic, the weight-loss drug that’s made headlines. A protein found in the Gila monsters' venom, Exendin-4, inspired the development of the drug.

Melbourne Zoo welcomed eight newly hatched Gila monsters, a lizard that has a surprising link to Ozempic, the weight-loss drug that’s made headlines around the world. A protein found in the Gila monsters' venom, Exendin-4, inspired the development of the drug (Exendin-4 mimics GLP-1, a human hormone that plays a role in regulating blood sugar and appetite).