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Social media is flooded with people sharing stories of weight loss using Ozempic, a drug designed to regulate insulin.
Doctors are now considering the context for this influential drug.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Ozempic, also known as semaglutide, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in addition to diet and exercise when other drugs do not adequately control blood sugar levels.
Studies show that people with type 2 diabetes (a chronic condition in which the body doesn’t respond well to insulin) can even reduce their risk of heart disease when taking Ozempic.
Although not expressly approved for chronic weight management, Ozempic is prescribed off-label and is safe for obese people.
Another drug called Wegovy is essentially the same injectable drug, prescribed in higher doses.
of FDA specifically approved Wegovy For patients who are severely obese or overweight and have one or more weight-related conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Both drugs are currently in short supply, according to the FDA.
Doctors say both drugs are important options for people who are obese or have diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Obesity is a complex disease, with genetic, occupational, hormonal, physical, psychological and social factors all involved,” says DO, obesity medicine specialist at Cooper University Health Care, Marlena of DABOM. Dr. Klein said. “Patients hugged me in the office and told me I changed their lives.
She continued, “This seemed like the missing piece in trying to get this disease under control.”
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People who aren’t diabetic or obese can still prescribe “off-label” drugs, but they can cost $800 to $1,400 for a month’s supply.
Since entering the market, both Ozempic and Wegovy have seen high demand both on-label and off-label.
Novo Nordisk, the company that makes both drugs, says it is currently experiencing “intermittent supply disruptions” for Ozempic due to “incredible demand” coupled with supply chain constraints. says.
Weight loss is a big concern in the United States, so experts hope more patients will soon have access to these drugs.
Semaglutide works by helping the pancreas release insulin to move sugar from the blood to body tissues.
It also works by slowing the movement of food through the stomach and suppressing appetite, thereby causing weight loss.
Side effects may include severe nausea and constipation.
Safety in minors has not yet been established.
Your doctor will start with a low-dose injection and increase the dose after 4 weeks based on how your body responds.
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Dr. Louis J. Arrone, director of the Center for Comprehensive Weight Management at Weill Cornell Medicine & New York Presbyterian, said Wegovy is so in short supply that patients rely on Ozempic in his practice.
Novo Nordisk said it was on track to make Wegovy more widely available in December, with a broader commercial relaunch planned for next year.
Physicians said patients struggling to access Ozempic or Wegovy due to the current nationwide shortage should consult their primary care physician or endocrinologist about alternative options within the same class of medicine. I’m here.
There are oral and other injectable forms that can be administered daily or weekly.
Dr. Avish Jain (DO) is a physician at Cooper University Hospital and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
