See the differences between the Wegovy pill and injection

Compounding pharmacies make custom drug formulations during drug shortages

Compounded semaglutide refers to customized versions of the medication prepared by pharmacies, especially during shortages of FDA-approved products like Ozempic and Wegovy. While compounded forms of brand-name medications can make it easier to access the drugs, the quality of such medications often varies.

How semaglutides are both better and worse than we know

The drugs were developed for use treating diabetes and, later, weight loss, but they have proven helpful with the heart, kidneys, and colon. On the flipside, it may slow digestion and lead to gastroparesis, or stomach blockages, and unexpected babies resulting from the slow effect of birth control pills.

12% of adults were taking injectable GLP-1 for weight loss according to 2025 survey

Weight loss injectable use rose sharply between 2024 and fall 2025. The percentage of adults who reported taking this class of medicine specifically for weight loss increased to 12.4%, compared with 5.8% in February 2024 when Gallup first measured it.

Breaking down the different types of vaccine technologies

There are several different types of vaccines. Each type is designed to teach your immune system how to fight off germs—and the serious diseases they cause. This short overview breaks down the differences between the types.

Genetic drug matching, called pharmacogenomics, can help avoid dangerous drug reactions

Certain gene variants can affect how quickly or slowly medications are broken down in the body, affecting drug effectiveness and the risk of drugs failing. Such testing is often not covered by insurance companies though research indicates if these tests were performed for more than six drugs across the US population, avoided ailments would likely climb into the hundreds of thousands. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Two festival-goers were hospitalized after receiving peptide injections, raising questions

Investigative journalism shop ProPublica wrote about two people who became extremely ill following antiaging peptide injections. Authorities were examining whether the individuals were sickened by an infection, contamination related to the injections, or an issue with the medication itself, according to documents obtained by the journalists at ProPublica.

See the evolution of Ebola vaccine and treatment development.

Needle-free polio vaccines were offered in Afghanistan for the first time in 2026

Fear of needles has been one barrier to eradicating polio in Afghanistan. Vaccinators are now using a needle-free jet injector to deliver the vaccine through the skin—an approach that's previously been used in other locations. The inoculation includes the inactivated virus vaccine (the vaccine without any live virus in it).

An Ebola vaccine was developed during the 2018 west African Ebola outbreak

A study found that Merck's rVSV-ZEBOV Ebola vaccine (called Ervebo) was 84% effective against infection during the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak in the DRC. This effect was observed for both sexes and among children and adults. The vaccine is approved to help provide protection against one specific species of the Ebola virus. The 2026 Ebola outbreak is with a different species of the virus—not the one that the vaccine is approved to treat.

Knowing how to use an EpiPen is a life-saving skill—learn how with this video

If someone has a severe allergic response, including trouble breathing or two or more allergic symptoms, it may be necessary to administer epinephrine, usually through an injection. Epinephrine autoinjectors—often called EpiPens—should be injected into the mid-outer thigh, even through clothing, for about 10 seconds, depending on brand. Sometimes another injection with a separate EpiPen is required if the patient does not get better after a few minutes.

Certain vaccinations may be more effective when given around the middle of the day

A 2023 analysis of the health records of more than 1.5 million people in Israel suggests that COVID-19 vaccines may be more effective when received around the middle of the day. Separate early research also suggests there may be similar trends for influenza vaccines.

Drugs 101: An interactive guide

What's the difference between opioids and psychedelics? This guide details specific drugs and their various associated effects. Drugs in this wheel fall into seven categories: stimulants, depressants, empathogens, psychedelics, dissociatives, cannabinoids, and opioids.

New drugs called Gepants have been shown to improve the quality of life of many sufferers.

Journalist Eva Wiseman has had migraines since childhood. Beginning with a yawn they segue into visual auras before turning into severe pain. As it so happened, she experienced a migraine during the course of her interview with Dr. Peter Goadsby, a pioneer in understanding and treating migraines as well as getting the world to treat them seriously.

Methadone binds to the same receptors as heroin and other opioids

Methadone is a long-acting opioid agonist that works by binding to the same brain receptors as other opioids (like heroin or morphine), but without producing intense euphoria. It reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings, helping people stabilize and avoid illicit opioid use.

HRT patches are popular partly because they have lower blood clotting risks than oral estradiol

Women taking estradiol for menopause or perimenopause are sometimes told oral HRT is not an option for them because it increases blood clot risks. But a large analysis in 2019 concluded that other forms of the HRT, such as the patch, creams, and gel, do not.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

IVF procedures fertilize eggs outside the body in a laboratory dish

In vitro fertilization is a complex and expensive set of procedures that potential parents dealing with infertility or genetic disorders may turn to when other methods are unavailable. IVF births account for 2% to 3% of all live births in the US annually.

A new daily MS pill is seeking regulatory approval in 2026

In clinical trials, Roche's fenebrutinib showed promise treating primary progressive MS and doubling relapse-free time in patients with relapsing MS as compared to existing treatment. But some liver damage and two possible drug-related deaths in the trials may make it difficult for the drug to net approval. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Tattoos are made by injecting pigments into the skin

Tattoo ink is injected under the skin, which can leave the body open to infections and allergic reactions. While many tattoo artists are licensed professionals who follow sanitary guidelines, that’s not always the case.

Humans need higher levels of water-soluble vitamins that easily pass through the body

There are two types of vitamins: lipid soluble and water-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins like B vitamins and vitamin C are in the watery parts of fruits and easily pass through the human body before being taken up by the bloodstream or exiting your body. But lipid (fat) soluble vitamins must be absorbed through the intestinal wall, carried by proteins, and then may be stored in the liver and other body parts—meaning there is greater risk of overdosing.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain health conditions

Early clinical trial research suggests that the parasites trigger the production of specific proteins that quiet our immune systems. This keeps the parasites from being killed, but it also quiets the inflammatory response that underpins allergies, type 2 diabetes, celiac disease, and other autoimmune conditions. Researchers still caution that infection with too many hookworms can cause serious medical complications and that this is not a standardized or approved medical treatment.

Pill bottles have often been orange to help protect medication from UV light

Amber pill bottles were introduced in 1968 to keep medications potent while allowing patients to see how much medication they had left. The color has since become universally associated with prescription medication.

Social jetlag—differing weekend and weekday schedules—is physiologically similar to jet lag

Recovering from schedules that drastically differ between weekends and weekdays, something that was first described in academic work in 2006, is a growing concern in public health as more research shows that consistent daily routines are important for human health.

ETFs vs. mutual funds: Which are better investments?

Exchange-traded funds and mutual funds have many similarities. They both invest in multiple companies under one fund and trade using the same securities (such as stocks and bonds). However, they have distinct differences—such as fees and management style—that can impact your bank account in the long term.

Whole and universal life insurance are two types of permanent life insurance

While they both stick with you for your whole life, they vary when it comes to added benefits, overall cost, and changes you can make to an active policy. The biggest difference between the two is that universal insurance lets you make changes to an active policy, whereas whole insurance is fixed.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

Explore this week-by-week visualization of pregnancy

This graphic illustrates how development proceeds during each week of pregnancy, tracking what shifts and milestones typically occur during each stage of the process. It also includes typical weights of the fetus throughout.

A deep dive on the weapons being used by both sides

From ballistic missiles to armed drones, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is proving the devastating power of modern weaponry. This infographic illustrates and explains the uses and effects of the weapons of choice for both sides of the conflict. Tactics are also explored in regards to their efficacy and consequences, with expert commentary added.

Doctors differentiate between a phobia and fear by asking patients whether their fear interferes with their day-to-day activities.

This poison ivy knowledge quiz—accompanied by photos of the plant's varied forms—may help you identify this common rash-inducing growth.

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the largest ground war in Europe since World War II in terms of casualties, forces mobilized, and displacement of civilians.

After 25 people used virtual reality headsets to practice flying with virtual wings—flapping their arms—their visual cortex responded to the wings almost as if they were real arms, treating them as body parts.

Budweiser stores yeast derived from the original 1800s strain in a secret bunker, which only the Head of Yeast Management can access—not even the CEO

An initial public offering or 'IPO' is the process of a private company becoming public by putting shares of the company on the stock market for purchase.

Track the location of the Voyager probes, currently between 13 and 15 billion miles away from Earth.

The deadliest aspect of volcanic eruptions is often not lava, but pyroclastic flows—avalanches of ash, gas, and rock that can move more than half the speed of sound.

Objects can be 3D printed with light by projecting 2D computerized tomography (CT) scans onto rotating cylinders of resin, which solidify upon exposure.

How fusion—which releases energy when two lighter atoms combine to form a heavier atom—differs from fission

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

A century of Billboard issues documenting the evolution of popular music.

Browse a detailed visual analysis of over 200,000 similes—comparisons that often use 'like' or 'as'—from popular fiction to see how frequently writers the same idiomatic expressions.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

The syncytiotrophoblast is the outer layer of the placenta and the largest human cell, spanning an area about twice that of a king-sized bedsheet.

Dorothy's famous entrance into Oz in 'The Wizard of Oz' relied on analog tricks, including a body double and sepia-toned paint, as much as it did on technology

'Saturday Night Fever,' the 1977 film that introduced disco to the mainstream, was based on a fabricated magazine story.

Power lines are dotted with large, brightly colored balls to improve the visibility of these thin wires to helicopters and small planes and help prevent potential crashes.

For centuries, it was common to sleep in two shifts: a few hours at the beginning of the night, and a longer period beginning around midnight

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

Take a 3D tour of the Hajj, Islam's annual pilgrimage to Mecca, undertaken by over 1.5 million Muslims.