Ozempic is a medication approved for managing diabetes. It is currently not approved for weight loss in the EU. The active ingredient in Ozempic is semaglutide, a type of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)receptor agonist. This means it works by stimulating the GLP-1 receptor in the body, which helps regulate blood sugar levels and promote weight loss.
Semaglutide is a synthetic or lab-generated version of a hormone that occurs naturally in the body. This hormone is called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), produced by the intestines in response to food. GLP-1 helps patients regulate blood sugar levels by stimulating the release of insulin and inhibiting the release of glucagon, a hormone that increases blood sugar levels in response to low insulin. GLP-1 also decreases the rate at which food leaves the stomach, which can help to reduce appetite and promote feelings of fullness.
BfArM – the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices – is the primary medical regulatory body in Germany.
A high-dose version, Wegovy for weight loss, was launched in Britain, Germany, Norway, and Denmark, but hasn’t helped with Ozempic demand because of Wegovy production issues.
„We are currently in talks with lawmakers about what we will do if the current measures and the public messages don’t show an effect,“ BfArM President Karl Broich told Spiegel magazine.
„We would then think about imposing an export ban so that enough remains in the country for the patients that need it,“ said Broich.
The drug ‘Ozempic’ for weight loss is on many people’s lips due to its media presence. Since it was approved by the FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Ozempic weight-loss injection has experienced massive popularity, which, among other things, means it is scarcely available in Germany. But besides the Ozempic pen, there is an another weight-loss injection that is marketed by the manufacturer Novo Nordisk and retailed by us under the name ‚Wegovy‘. This is also approved by the EMA but is applied slightly differently. However, it is available in Germany.
What Is Semaglutide and How Does the Weight Loss Injection Work?
Ozempic and Wegovy are both based on the same active ingredient called ’semaglutide‘, which is a Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist or GLP-1 analogue, of which the active ingredients liraglutide, dulaglutide, exenatide and lixisentide are also examples. GLP-1 is an intestinal hormone that is naturally released after the intake of food. Semaglutide increases the amount of insulin released in the pancreas, which helps to lower and control blood glucose levels. This is accompanied by a reduction in appetite and a slower emptying of the stomach.
Ozempic was shown to be effective at controlling blood glucose levels.Treatment with Ozempic also led to weight loss, which is considered beneficial in patients with diabetes. Ozempic was also shown to be effective at reducing the occurrence of serious health complications associated with diabetes such as heart attack and stroke.
Regarding safety, this was considered in line with that of other medicines of the same class. Side effects affecting the digestive system are considered to be manageable. Worsening of diabetic retinopathy has also been observed and will be further investigated.
The European Medicines Agency concluded that the benefits of Ozempic seen in studies outweighed its risk and recommended it be approved for use in the EU.
Ozempic and weight loss
You might have heard about Ozempic being used as a weight loss treatment and be wondering how Ozempic can help you lose weight.
Ozempic isn’t licensed as a weight loss treatment. However, the active ingredient in Ozempic, Semaglutide, can help to regulate your appetite, keeping you feeling fuller for longer and reducing cravings. This, alongside healthy eating and regular exercise, can be very effective for losing weight.
Potential benefits
1) It’s likely to help you lose weight
The largest, well-conducted research study of semaglutide was from United Kingdom in 2021. Some 1,961 people who were classified as “overweight” or “obese” were randomly assigned to have either semaglutide or a placebo and followed for 68 weeks (about 1.3 years). All participants also had free access to advice about healthy eating and physical activity.
The study found those taking semaglutide lost weight – significantly more than people who had the placebo (-14.9% of their body weight compared with -2.4% of body weight).
In another study in the United States, one health-care clinic gave 408 people weekly injections of semaglutide. Over the first three months, those included in the final analysis (175 people) lost an average of 6.7kg. Over the first six months, they lost an average of 12.3kg.
How to take Ozempic
Ozempic is an injection that you take once a week. Your healthcare team will give you more information about how to take Ozempic, and how to inject.
Always take this medication exactly as your healthcare team has told you. The Patient Information Leaflet inside the box will tell you how to take it but always check with a doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
Who can take Ozempic?
Adults over the age of 18 years with type 2 diabetes can take Ozempic.
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, or NICE for short, recommend that Ozempic can be prescribed to adults with type 2 diabetes when:
- Using three medications has not been effective in managing diabetes.
- Or you have not been able to take the medications. This might be because of side effects or because of other medical conditions.
Ozempic is only prescribed to people who have a Body Mass Index, known as BMI, of 35kg/m2 or more and have additional psychological or other medical conditions that are related to obesity.
However, someone with type 2 diabetes can be prescribed Ozempic if they have a BMI below 35kg/m2 and:
- Using insulin would affect their job due to the risk of low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, or hypos;
- Weight loss would lead to improvements in other obesity-related health issues.
NICE recommends – due to their risk from obesity-related health problems at a lower BMI – that people from Black African, African-Caribbean, Asian, South Asian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern backgrounds receive treatment with Ozempic at a lower BMI.
Who can’t take Ozempic?
Some medications might not be suitable for some people, which might be because of medical conditions or other reasons:
- Your doctor will tell you to stop taking Ozempic if you develop diabetic ketoacidosis, also called DKA;
- If you have kidney disease you might not be able to take Ozempic, but this will depend on the stage of your kidney disease;
- If you have severe liver disease you might not be able to take Ozempic;
- You might need to temporarily stop Ozempic if you’re going to have an operation;
- You should not take Ozempic during pregnancy or if you are breastfeeding. If you are planning a pregnancy, it’s very important to speak to a healthcare professional if you are using this medication.
Like most drugs, Ozempic may cause mild or serious side effects. The lists below describe some of the more common side effects that have been reported with Ozempic. These lists don’t include all possible side effects.
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Ozempic. They can also suggest ways to help reduce side effects. For more details about Ozempic’s side effects, see this related article.
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
- abdominal pain
- vomiting
- nausea*
Mild side effects of many drugs may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
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:
- 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)
- nausea*
- pancreatitis*
- boxed warning: risk of thyroid tumors or thyroid cancer.�