Lose weight quickly without hunger? This is supposed to work with the diabetes drug Ozempic. But the hype causes a shortage of the active ingredient.
Munich – A new weight loss trend is causing concern among type 2 diabetics. The diabetes drug semaglutides is actually used to lower blood sugar. But after stars also use the active ingredient to lose weight, it became a real trend drug.
Diabetes drug is becoming scarce: weight loss hype drives demand upwards
"We currently have a supply bottleneck for a diabetes drug, semaglutides, because we have noticed that you can also use it to lose weight," said David Francas, Professor of Data and Supply Chain Analysis at Worms University of Applied Sciences. "It's hyped and suddenly you have an off-label use for the drug, which can also drive demand." In the case of off-label German use, a drug is used against a disease for which it has not been approved by the regulatory authorities.
Semaglutide has been approved in Europe since 2018 as a diabetes drug "Ozempic" to lower blood sugar levels. Newer, from the beginning of 2022, is an approval in the EU specifically with the field of application weight loss and control (brand name "Wegovy"): It is intended for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, i.e. obesity, and for overweight people (BMI from 27) with at least one weight-related concomitant disease.
Anti-diabetic is also prescribed by doctors for weight loss
However, "Wegovy" is not yet available in Germany, as the manufacturer Novo Nordisk Pharma confirmed on request. Apparently, doctors like to prescribe the diabetes drug "Ozempic" instead to those who want to lose weight. "It's not acceptable for me to prescribe an anti-diabetic off-label for someone who wants to lose weight. That's an absurdity, because I also have a responsibility as a prescriber," Torsten Hoppe-Tichy, head of the pharmacy at Heidelberg University Hospital, criticized this use.
Semaglutide has been hyped on social networks in recent months, partly because some celebrities are said to have lost weight. For example, when asked about the secret of his appearance, tech billionaire Elon Musk mentioned the name of the drug in addition to fasting. Doctors report increased demand from patients for the remedy.
Ozempic is a drug that is prescribed to diabetes patients. But there are also people who misuse it. © Remko de Waal/Imago
Experts warn against using Ozempic to lose weight
In one study, patients who received one dose of semaglutide per week to accompany lifestyle changes lost about 68 percent weight on average after 15 weeks. A comparison group that received a dummy drug lost only a good two percent in the same period, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
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The German Society of Endocrinology (DGE) warned of risks and side effects and "uncontrolled use not approved by the regulatory authorities" as early as the end of 2022. One of the problems is that a lifestyle application has not been investigated, DGE spokesman Stephan Petersenn explained. "It is unclear whether an overweight patient who is not obese loses weight at all." Side effects such as nausea and diarrhea are also possible. In general, the application should be embedded in an overall therapy concept with nutrition and exercise under medical supervision. (ph/dpa)
