2023’s Most Controversial Drug: Hollywood Weight Loss Drug Ozempic
Ozempic, a medication originally prescribed for type 2 diabetes, has become an unexpected player in the weight loss arena. Social media buzz and celebrity endorsements have thrust it into the spotlight, sparking a surge in demand and a complex ethical debate. This article delves deeper into the science behind Ozempic, explores the recent controversy surrounding its off-label use, and examines the challenges and potential solutions for ensuring responsible use and continued access for those who truly need it.
Ozempic (semaglutide) is a prescription drug that’s used in people with type 2 diabetes. Ozempic is given as an injection under your skin.
Ozempic can be prescribed to adults with type 2 diabetes to:
- lower certain risks in people who also have heart disease, including heart attack and stroke
- help manage blood sugar levels, along with lifestyle improvements in diet and exercise
How does Ozempic work?
Ozempic works by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone. As those hormone levels rise, the molecules go to your brain, telling it you’re full. It also slows digestion by increasing the time it takes for food to leave the body. This is similar to the effect of bariatric surgery. When using Ozempic to treat diabetes, weight loss is a common side effect. It is designed to be taken long-term.
Many celebrities have receive backlash for misuse of Ozempic which takes away the drug and limits access to those who need it for medical reasons
History of Ozempic
Originally, Ozempic was not designed to be an anti-obesity drug. Instead, when semaglutide was developed, it was intended as a diabetes therapy. When Ozempic became available to the public in 2017, it was approved by the FDA for use as a drug to control the effects of diabetes. Less than a year after Ozempic was released in 2017, though, researchers at the University of Leeds discovered the drug could also be used to treat obesity. Just a few years later, in 2021, the FDA approved Wegovy for long-term weight management in adults who have at least one other weight-related condition.
The drug quickly became a popular option for weight management in the United States and around the world. However, in less than a year, the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) had already received over 10,000 adverse event reports about semaglutide variants. Despite the large quantity of adverse event reports, semaglutide continued to be a popular weight management option for another two years. It was so popular that the FDA added it to its drug shortages list in 2023.
Around this time, mainstream news outlets started reporting on the alleged side effects of Ozempic. The first lawsuits were filed shortly after that information became public.
Are there benefits to taking Ozempic for weight loss?
Ozempic can help people lose weight, which can reduce the risk for many other serious health conditions, such as heart problems. Semaglutide treatments can also be used as an alternative to bariatric surgery for some patients who are obese. The degree of weight loss achieved with surgery is usually much greater and lasts longer than with medications.
Experts still recommend that people avoid using Ozempic unless they have type 2 diabetes. Instead, talk to your health care provider about starting Wegovy for weight loss.
What are the side effects?
People taking Ozempic and Wegovy for both F.D.A. approved and off-label use may experience nausea and dehydration. They might also feel fatigue and malaise. Their bowel movements might change, with some patients having diarrhea and others becoming severely constipated.
Mild side effects
Here’s a short list of some of the mild side effects that have been reported with Ozempic. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist or read Ozempic’s prescribing information.
Mild side effects of Ozempic can include:
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
Serious side effects
Serious side effects from Ozempic can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from Ozempic, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.
Serious side effects can include:
- Eye problems
- Kidney Problems
- Intestinal Obstruction
- Pancreatitis (inflammation in your pancreas)
- Boxed warning: risk of thyroid tumors or thyroid cancer
- Diabetic retinopathy (damage to your eyes that’s caused by diabetes)
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- Gallbladder disease (which can include gallstones and inflammation of your gallbladder)
- Allergic reaction
What is Ozempic’s dosage?
Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Ozempic that’s right for you. Below are commonly used dosages, but always take the dosage your doctor prescribes.
Form and strengths
Ozempic comes as a liquid solution inside prefilled, disposable pens. The following table shows which strengths Ozempic pens come in. The strengths are written as milligrams of semaglutide (Ozempic’s active drug) per milliliter of solution (mg/mL).
How Ozempic may lead to weight loss
Ozempic may lead to weight loss because:
- It slows down how quickly your stomach empties after eating. This slows your digestion process and can help you feel fuller for longer.
- The drug mimics a hormone called GLP-1 that your body naturally produces. This hormone increases feelings of satiety (feeling full or satisfied after eating).
Stars Who’ve Spoken About Ozempic
Ozempic, a diabetes drug, has become a popular weight loss medication among celebrities. Celebrities like Rebel Wilson credit it for their weight loss success while others like Stephen Fry have spoken out about the negative side effects. This has led to a shortage of the drug for diabetics who actually need it. Actresses like Kate Winslet and Sophie Turner have condemned the use of Ozempic for weight loss while Jameela Jamil worries about the lack of discussion on side effects. Some celebrities like Khloe Kardashian have denied ever using the drug.
- Oprah Winfrey has spoken openly about her weight loss journey, including her use of a weight loss drug to manage her weight.
- Tracy Morgan has shared his positive experience with Ozempic, highlighting its appetite-suppressing effects but also mentioned gaining weight when not using it.
- Terry Dubrow tried Ozempic out of curiosity despite not having much weight to lose and found it effective.
- Al Roker addressed judgment around weight loss drugs, emphasizing the importance of avoiding shame and supporting individual choices.
- Rebel Wilson discussed her positive experience with Ozempic, describing it as beneficial in controlling her appetite.
- Stephen Fry Initially experienced significant weight loss but later faced severe negative side effects, including nausea and vomiting.
- Kate Winslet expressed uncertainty about Ozempic, indicating she wasn’t familiar with it initially.When informed about the drug and its side effects, she reportedly reacted with concern, expressing disbelief at its effects and advocating for enjoying food rather than resorting to pills.
- Sophie Turner’s response to the ubiquity of weight loss drugs, including Ozempic, was succinct and critical, simply stating “WTF” in response to advertisements.She shared a post on Instagram featuring a tweet criticizing the advertising of Ozempic and similar drugs, particularly in public spaces like Times Square subway station.
- Khloé Kardashian responded to rumors suggesting she used weight loss drugs like Ozempic by asserting her commitment to fitness and healthy habits.She emphasized her rigorous workout routine and dismissed assumptions about her using such drugs as insulting to her dedication to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Ozempic Lawsuit
Ozempic lawsuits claim the drug can cause severe gastroparesis, ileus, intestinal blockage and even death, and that the drug’s manufacturers failed to warn of this risk. The first Ozempic stomach paralysis lawsuit was filed on Aug. 2, 2023. On Feb. 2, 2024, a federal panel combined at least 55 lawsuits into a multidistrict litigation.
Why Are People Filing Ozempic Lawsuits?
People filed the most recent Ozempic lawsuits because they took the drug and later suffered from gastroparesis. This severe disorder causes food to move too slowly through the stomach to the small intestine. In some cases, food may stop moving through the intestine altogether.
Gastroparesis may cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, severe dehydration, acid reflux, malnutrition and weight loss. Undigested food may remain in the stomach and harden.
Injuries Named in Ozempic Lawsuits
The main injury claimed in the most recent Ozempic lawsuits is gastroparesis, or a paralyzed stomach. This causes severe vomiting that can last for four weeks or more. Gastroparesis may also occur with gastroenteritis, or stomach inflammation.
In addition to gastroparesis, lawyers are investigating cases of ileus, intestinal blockage and intestinal obstruction. Persistent vomiting is one of the main signs of gastroparesis, and many people who filed lawsuits vomited for several months after taking Ozempic.
In September 2023, the FDA added an Ozempic warning for intestinal blockage, intestinal obstruction and ileus. Ileus is a condition that causes the intestines to stop working properly. Lawyers are also accepting these claims.
According to Ozempic lawsuits, since the FDA approved Ozempic in 2017, Novo Nordisk has not included gastroparesis warnings in its prescription information until September 2023. The company warned about other Ozempic side effects but didn’t warn the public of the risk of severe gastroparesis.
There is no cure for gastroparesis, and plaintiffs are seeking compensation for loss of quality of life, past and future medical bills and other damages.
People Who Filed Ozempic Lawsuits
According to Jaclyn Bjorklund’s complaint, which combines an Ozempic lawsuit and a Mounjaro lawsuit, she had gastrointestinal problems after she used Ozempic and Mounjaro. She took Ozempic for more than a year before she stopped using it in July 2023 and switched to Mounjaro. She experienced gastroparesis that caused severe vomiting, which led to her teeth falling out.
Laura Marrero filed her Ozempic lawsuit in December 2023 after she had been taking Ozempic from May 2023 to October 2023 and suffered persistent vomiting the entire time she took the drug. In August 2023, Marrero ended up in the hospital with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, difficulty swallowing and rectal bleeding.
Novo Nordisk’s Defense Against Ozempic Lawsuits
Novo Nordisk has released public statements attesting to the safety of its products, including all semaglutide variants. As part of these statements, the company has acknowledged that gastrointestinal side effects can occur with the use of its drug but downplayed their severity.
According to Novo Nordisk, these side effects are mild to moderate and of short duration. Additionally, the manufacturer emphasizes that these effects are listed on the warning label for the drug.
This likely represents the main defense that Novo Nordisk will make against Ozempic lawsuits. The company will probably claim that users were warned of potential side effects before they started to take the drug.
Ozempic Lawsuit Update
In February, 2024, The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered that all current Ozempic lawsuits in federal court be centralized in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. There are already 13 lawsuits (of the 55 known cases) in this district and before U.S. District Judge Gene E. K. Pratter.
This order will create a multidistrict litigation or MDL. Though similar to a class action, MDLs resolve each claim individually while allowing judicial rulings and the discovery process to be streamlined. Class actions, on the other hand, combine all claims into a single case resolved together.
April 2, 2024 – Ozempic Maker Spends $11 Million to Market Drug For Weight Loss
The LLN team has learned that Novo Nordisk budgeted 11 million dollars to pay for doctors’ travel and dining expenses as a marketing strategy to encourage them to prescribe Ozempic and other similar drugs for weight loss purposes.
MAINTAINING YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT : TIPS AND TRICKS
CONCLUSION
The emergence of Ozempic as a weight loss aid has ignited significant interest and controversy. While its off-label use has drawn attention from social media influencers and celebrities, it also raises ethical questions about responsible prescribing and access for individuals with type 2 diabetes, its primary indication. Navigating these complexities requires a balanced approach that prioritizes evidence-based medicine, ethical considerations, and equitable access to healthcare. Moving forward, collaboration between healthcare providers, regulatory bodies, and pharmaceutical companies is essential to ensure that Ozempic is used responsibly and remains accessible to those who truly benefit from its therapeutic effects.
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