Health and Medicine
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There’s mounting evidence that drugs like Ozempic could be extremely multifunctional, with studies finding all sorts of potential uses for them in treating a plethora of conditions. One of the latest to add to this list, according to scientists from the UK’s Warwick Medical School, could be male infertility.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.“Glucagon-like peptide 1” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, as names go, but GLP-1 certainly does. And thanks to some annoyingly catchy jingles, so does Ozempic.
Ozempic and similar drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro are often collectively referred to as “GLP-1s”, but their more accurate name is GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs). That means that they bind to the same receptors in the body as the natural GLP-1 peptide secreted by our intestines.
From a surprising origin story involving the USA’s only venomous lizard, these drugs started life as an aid to blood sugar management in type 2 diabetes, for which they’re highly effective. It soon became apparent, however, that they had an alternate use as weight loss drugs, and in the last couple of years their popularity and ubiquity have skyrocketed.
And if a drug has two clear uses, why not more?
A large study in early 2025 claimed to be the first comprehensive analysis of the potential risks and benefits of GLP-1RAs. GLP-1 receptors are found in tissues throughout the body, so it stands to reason there may be impacts outside the digestive and endocrine systems.
One possible benefit the team identified was in decreasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, something that’s since been the subject of more research with some conflicting results.
It’s also unclear how many of the other potential benefits of GLP-1RAs could be a knock-on effect of any weight loss that happens, or completely separate effects.
We also can’t forget the side effects – some known risks, some that may still come to light as people take these drugs for longer periods of time. No medical intervention is risk-free, but any conversation around benefits has to be weighed against a proper assessment of that risk.
Moving away from the physiological towards the psychological, recent data revealed an even more unexpected side effect of these drugs: they may help reduce violent behaviors.
What’s emerging is a highly varied picture, a class of drugs whose primary use case is turning out to be just the tip of the iceberg.
Another indirect benefit?
The latest finding, presented at a recent conference, suggests GLP-1RAs could have a positive effect on male fertility.
“GLP 1s do not harm male hormones or fertility after long-term use,” reads a statement on the results from the Endocrine Society.
“In fact, the research team found GLP-1s may improve testosterone levels and sperm quality in men with obesity related low testosterone, while also addressing the underlying effects of obesity.”
The finding is described as “likely indirect”, meaning it’s probably a case of the weight loss effect having other knock-on benefits, as mentioned above.
Obesity, the researchers write in their abstract, is associated with a reduction in semen quality, hypogonadism (testosterone deficiency), and dysregulation of male fertility hormones.
The scientists searched through published randomized controlled trials of GLP-1RAs in men aged 18 to 65, and found five in which measurements of various sex hormones had been taken. Overall, they found that current data suggests GLP-1RAs don’t negatively impact fertility, and may even improve it in men who are experiencing fertility issues as a result of obesity.
“This work supports a shift away from prescribing testosterone replacement in men with obesity and low testosterone and toward treating the underlying cause – excess weight and poor metabolic health – which can naturally restore hormone levels and preserve fertility,” said team lead Dr Pratibha Natesh, an endocrinologist at Warwick Medical School.
“Improving metabolic health can have positive effects far beyond weight alone.”
Since only a small number of studies have even begun to address these questions, more research will be needed before GLP-1RAs could themselves be offered as a treatment for some men struggling with fertility issues.
However, it is one more thing to add to the growing picture of exactly what GLP-1RAs have the potential to do in the body. We can definitely expect to hear a lot more about them.
The study was presented at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting.
