A drug intended to combat diabetes and other health risks has a side effect that is proving to have enormous appeal.
As the concept of losing weight simply by taking medications catches on to people trying to shed pounds and get physically fit, the debate over who gets them and how much they cost is taking center stage.
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Novo Nordisk from Denmark (NGO) the company that makes Ozempic and other pharmaceutical products like Wegovy, saw its shares jump in value from $125.25 on March 7 to $137.80 on March 8, a gain of 9%.
But there is debate over how Ozempic is distributed. It has experienced shortages due to increased demand.
It turns out that the drug's widespread popularity is based on its weight-loss effects, and that fact is detrimental to people who need it for more important health reasons than what many perceive as vanity.
For those who qualify for insurance coverage, Ozempic can cost as little as $25 per month. Without insurance, the medication's cost of about $900 per month presents a considerable obstacle for people who cannot afford it.
Harvard doctor warns about Ozempic
Robert Shmerling, a doctor who writes about health for Harvard Health Publishing, recently discussed how Ozempic's weight loss side effect as a sales pitch has triggered a problem.
“The current shortage of semaglutide (Ozempic), an important diabetes drug, has an unusual origin: too many people without diabetes take it,” he said. wrote.
Shmerling notes that the advertising around Ozempic promotes weight loss as a feature, not a side effect for people with diabetes.
“Ozempic's ads did not list it along with other possible side effects; instead, it was presented as a benefit,” he wrote. “Ozempic's 'Tri-Zone' (a phrase invented by marketers, not medical experts) promised better blood sugar control, lower cardiovascular risk and weight loss.”
“At the bottom of the ad, the easy-to-miss fine print says, ‘Ozempic is not a weight-loss drug.’ Talk about mixed messages!” he wrote.
Social media has played a role
Shmerling claimed that social media has instigated the popularity of weight loss medications.
Soon after the approval of Wegovy, celebrities and social media influencers started taking it and sharing brilliant weight loss experiences. What's more, drugs approved for specific uses in the US can be prescribed without authorization for any use: up to 38% of all prescriptions written in the US are unauthorized. So it's likely that some of Wegovy's viral breakthrough was driven by people who wanted to lose weight but had no medical reason to take it.
After high demand made Wegovy in short supply, many turned to Ozempic to lose weight. And that contributed to a shortage of Ozempic, threatening the health of people with type 2 diabetes who rely on the drug.
Shmerling has advice for people to understand these priorities. And that means ignoring ads that sell medications as easy solutions to losing weight.
“Drug ads often encourage you to ask your doctor if a treatment is right for you,” he wrote. “But we already know a key piece of the answer for Ozempic: If you don't have diabetes, don't ask for a diabetes medication to help you lose weight… If your weight is already in a healthy range, it's not. It's a It's a good idea to take weight loss medication.
“Finally, to keep critically important medications available to those who need them most, health care professionals must prescribe them responsibly,” Shmerling added. “Responsible requests from your patients could help.”
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The author of this story owns shares of Novo Nordisk.
