GLP-1 doubled its share of HARO health requests in 2026

In the first three months of 2026, about one in nine editions of the HARO journalist-request newsletter carried at least one query about GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro. From August to October it was more than one in five. We counted every HARO edition we received this year, 606 of them, to see how health journalists’ requests for expert comment are shifting. The wider picture across 15 health topics is in what health journalists want in 2026.

Key finding: GLP-1 queries appeared in 22.4% of HARO editions from August to 22 October 2026, up from 10.8% in January to March. September was the peak month, at 27.0% (17 of 63 editions).

GLP-1 requests, month by month

Share = editions containing at least one GLP-1 term ÷ all editions that month. Jan–Mar: 20 of 186 editions. Aug–Oct: 39 of 174.

What the questions are about

In the editions we checked by hand, GLP-1 queries went beyond weight loss: they asked dietitians about nutrition alongside the drugs, obesity-medicine doctors about dosing practices, and diabetes and cancer specialists about effects on other conditions. That fits the rise in the numbers: the drugs now show up across general health coverage, not only weight-loss stories.

Other health topics we tracked

Broad words such as “anxiety”, “skincare” and “supplement” match many unrelated queries, so we leave those topics out of the comparison.

What this means for health brands and experts

If you are an obesity-medicine doctor, dietitian, pharmacist or endocrinologist, GLP-1 requests are now a steady weekly source of coverage, not an occasional one. Have your licence or registration details and any commercial ties ready to share. For a structured approach, see our healthcare media relations service and our guide to HARO for health experts.

How we’re pitching this

This data was built to be pitched. Here is how we’re taking it to journalists, as an example of how we turn our own HARO data into coverage.

The list is 11 writers covering GLP-1s right now: health news on new studies, biopharma and pharma business desks following the obesity-drug pipeline, and health features on GLP-1 use beyond weight loss. Most pitches lead with the data; two build on a specific recent story.

• One writer per outlet, chosen because they covered this topic in the last 90 days. Every pitch opens with that writer's own recent story, so it builds on their work rather than arriving cold.
• Verified addresses only. No guessed emails, and catch-all addresses are held back for a manual check.
• Short, with one ask. 116–163 words, three numbers, a one-line method, links to this page and the CSV, and an offer of the fuller figures. We don't ask for a link.
• One follow-up a few days later, carrying a new number from the same data rather than a nudge.

Here is one of the pitches, with the journalist’s details removed:

Subject: GLP-1 Queries Now in More Than 1 in 5 HARO Editions in 2026

Hi [name],

You wrote on [date] about a new weight-loss drug that could cut weight by up to 25%. Stories like that keep coming, and it shows in what journalists ask experts for: GLP-1 drugs appeared in 22.4% of HARO request newsletters from August to October 2026, up from 10.8% in January to March.

• September was the peak, with GLP-1 queries in 27.0% of editions (17 of 63)
• Weight-loss queries of any kind rose from 14.5% to 23.6% of editions
• The questions went beyond weight loss, into nutrition, dosing and other conditions

HealthSpark PR counted all 606 editions of HARO, the journalist source-request newsletter, from 2 January to 22 October 2026.

Write-up and data (CSV): [links]

Happy to send the full month-by-month figures.

The follow-up adds one new figure from the same data: queries about peptides went from 2.2% of editions in January to March to 9.8% in August to October.

We’ll add what came back once the replies are in. If you’re a journalist and want the underlying figures, get in touch.

Method

• We counted every HARO (Help a Reporter Out) edition delivered to one subscribed inbox from 2 January to 22 October 2026: 606 editions, usually three per weekday, with no editions on five US federal holidays (19 January, 25 May, 19 June, 3 July and 7 September).
• An edition counts for a topic if any query in it contains one of the topic’s terms. GLP-1 terms: GLP-1, Ozempic, Wegovy, semaglutide, tirzepatide, Mounjaro, Zepbound.
• We checked a sample of matches by hand; in each, the term appeared in a journalist’s query rather than in the newsletter’s sponsored blocks. Keyword matching can catch passing mentions, so treat small month-to-month changes with caution.
• This measures how often a topic appears in an edition, not the number of individual queries. One edition can carry several GLP-1 queries.
• We report counts only. We don’t publish query text or name the journalists or outlets behind them.