Last year, semaglutide, marketed under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, became well known as an efficient weight-loss medicine thanks to the advocacy of social media influencers and celebrities like Elon Musk.
A worldwide shortage of the weight-loss medicine has emerged due to an unanticipated spike in demand. Manufacturing the medicine, which is injected once weekly by the patient, requires a special infrastructure, so replenishing worldwide supplies will take time. At the end of the month of March, it should arrive back in Australia.
Because of the shortage, some patients with diabetes have had trouble locating pharmacies that carry semaglutide (in the form of Ozempic), which is beneficial in managing type 2 diabetes. For many people with diabetes, Ozempic has controlled their blood sugar (and often also helped them lose weight) more effectively than other medications. In addition, when incorporating Ozempic into your treatment plan, you might need to know how to use the medication and does Ozempic need to be stored in a fridge for its longevity, it is equally important to follow the prescribed dosage and injection instructions provided by your healthcare professional for proper utilization.
Doctors in Australia have been warned against prescribing the obesity drug Ozempic because of a current scarcity. Wegovy, a brand of semaglutide, is intended solely for such purpose. Wegovy has been recently licenced for that use by regulators in the United States and Australia, however it is not yet available for usage in Australia.
It is unknown who will have access to semaglutide for weight loss when the scarcity is overcome and it is once again available in Australia for persons with diabetes. Both patients and medical professionals are curious in the cost and potential benefits for weight control.
How does it function, exactly?
Semaglutide increases satiety by modulating brain reward pathways and decreases food intake by delaying gastric emptying. Its effectiveness in diabetes treatment can be attributed to its ability to modulate insulin and glucagon secretion.
The danger of having a heart attack or stroke is also diminished. Previous weight loss medications were ineffective due to their increased risk of death from heart attack. Semaglutide is more effective than other weight-loss medicines on the market, with studies showing it aids 66-84% of patients who use the drug.
Evidence of effectiveness of an appetite suppressant in the treatment of obesity Patients who use the medicine and continue to take it two years later continue to reap the benefits of maintaining their weight loss. Unfortunately, after treatment is discontinued, patients sometimes recover as much as two-thirds of their original weight. In other words, semaglutide “manages” but does not “cure”; its effects are limited to the time that the drug is being taken.
Semaglutide is supposed to supplement a healthy lifestyle, not replace it
The drug has always been studied in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle approach including regular exercise and a balanced diet. Consequently, it is unclear what happens if medication is taken in the absence of other efforts to improve health. Exercising regularly is essential to maintaining a healthy weight over time.
Are there any negative reactions?
Side effects of semaglutide include tummy pain, gas, bowel irregularity, and sickness.
Pancreatitis, along with thyroid and pancreatic cancer, has been called into question. The studies have been promising thus far, but these cases are quite uncommon, so it will be some time before we can tell if there has been a big increase.
Please tell me the price
The price of semaglutide for weight loss is one of its major drawbacks. Patients may spend less on food while on it, but the monthly cost was about A$130 in 2022 (when it was more widely available in Australia). Manufacturer Novo Nordisk is investing millions in additional facilities to satisfy the increasing demand, so prices may rise if supply issues are resolved.
Unless you have health insurance, a monthly payment in the United States will cost you over $1,000.
Those living in Australia who have diabetes will still be able to get their hands on the medication through the PBS at the standard prescription rate. However, it would require a private prescription if it were to be used for obesity, therefore the price is currently unknown.
People living in poverty are disproportionately affected by obesity. Those who would benefit the most from public health interventions are not always able to fund them. If this drug is used extensively to treat obesity, the issue of inequality will need to be addressed. One possibility is to offer weight loss subsidies through the PBS.
Can you tell me the drawbacks?
Use of semaglutide by non-obese people, especially those with eating problems, is a major cause for worry. Due to its appetite-reducing properties, it may encourage dangerous forms of weight loss.
A body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more indicates obesity, while a BMI between 25 and 29.9 indicates overweight. Nonetheless, it has been reported that persons with BMIs below 25 have used it to lose “a little bit of weight.”
