Ethics analysis of semaglutide and tirzepatide as weight-loss medications, examining their dual status as therapeutic agents and potential enhancement drugs, individual health benefits versus population-level concerns including exacerbation of weight-based discrimination, reinforcement of socioeconomic disparities in drug access, unknown long-term effects, and potential environmental considerations from widespread use. Provides a bioethics framework for tirzepatide prescribing beyond the individual clinical encounter—addressing the societal obligations of prescribers and health systems when deploying high-cost pharmacotherapy for obesity in environments of limited access and potential for misuse as enhancement drugs.
Minerva, Francesca