Newer weight loss drugs are cost effective in the long term only when combined with bariatric weight loss surgery, according to a study presented at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2024 in San Francisco, California. Further, a second study presented at the meeting found that this increasingly popular class of weight loss drugs, called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 RA, appears safe and may be a novel approach to treating obesity when used before bariatric surgery.