This week on Insight is a discussion on “Ozempic Games,” how popular drugs are changing our relationship to weight.
Ozempic is a brand-name medication used to treat type 2 diabetes but is often prescribed ‘off-label’ as a weight-loss drug.
It contains the active ingredient semaglutide — which works by reducing appetite by targeting areas in the body including the brain, pancreas and digestive system.
It reduces appetite in the brain and slows down how quickly the stomach empties — triggering a feeling of feeling ‘full’.
It also helps the pancreas produce insulin, which is how it helps manage type 2 diabetes.
Another medication, Wegovy, which also contains semaglutide, has been developed purely as weight-loss treatment. It became available in Australia last month.
It’s only prescribed for those living with obesity or who are overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol.
The ‘off-label’ prescribing of Ozempic for weight loss is driving shortages which the TGA thinks will last until 2025.
With the average cost of Ozempic ranging from $130 to $200 for a month’s supply when prescribed off-label for weight loss, many people are turning to compounding pharmacies to access replicas of the drug at a lower price point.
It’s estimated that at least 20,000 Australian patients are injecting compounded replica weight loss drugs with the majority using them for weight loss management.
8:30pm Tuesday on SBS.
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