Diabetes Drug Ozempic Trends On TikTok As Weight-Loss Drug
PROBLEMS FOR DIABETICS WHO ARE NOW STRUGGLING TO GET THE PRESCRIPTIONS. THESE DAYS IT'S THE TALK OF TIKTOK. >> I JUST START DROPPING POUNDS LEFT AND RIGHT. >> Reporter: THE TOPIC OZEMPIC HAS OVER 300 MILLION VIEWS. >> BEING ON THIS MEDICATION HAS HELPED WITH MY HEALTH. >> Reporter: SCORES OF USERS CREDITING THEIR WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS, OZEMPIC IS A DRUG YOU INJECT MEANT TO IMPROVE BLOOD SUGAR AND HELP MANAGE TYPE 2 DIABETES. ONE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS IS WEIGHT LOSS, MANY ARE USING IT OFF LABEL, A TREND THAT MAY HAVE STARTED IN HOLLYWOOD. ANDY COHEN EVEN RECENTLY TWEETING, EVERYONE IS SUDDENLY SHOWING UP 25 POUNDS LIGHTER? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY STOP TAKING OZEMPIC? SINCE OZEMPIC'S GONE VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SOME DOCTORS SAY THEY HAVE BEEN FLOODED WITH INQUIRIES. >> IT'S BECOME SOMETHING VERY HOT AND HEAVY IN LOS ANGELES, BAILIFFS.
>> Reporter: OZEMPIC'S ACTIVE INGREDIENT WORKS BY MAKING YOU FEEL FULL LONGER. DOCTORS SAY IT'S SIMILAR TO, WHICH HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE FDA AND IS PRODUCED BY THE SAME MANUFACTURER. WHEN WE ASKED THE COMPANY ABOUT PEOPLE USING OZEMPIC TO LOSE WEIGHT, IT RESPONDED IN A STATEMENT, WE DO NOT PROMOTE, SUGGEST OR ENCOURAGE OFF-LABEL USE OF OUR MEDICINES. THE COMPANY ADDING, OZEMPIC AND WOGOVI ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE. THE FDA SAYS HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS CAN PRESCRIBE DRUGS OFF LABEL WHEN MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE. ANNA McKENNA HAS DOCUMENTED HER 45-POUND WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY WITH OZEMPIC ON YOUTUBE. >> INTERESTINGLY, IT HAS BEEN MY EASIEST WEIGHT LOSS ATTEMPT AND MY MOST SUCCESSFUL. >> Reporter: SHE AGREES THAT OZEMPIC ISN'T A MAGIC PILL, ADDING HER SIDE EFFECTS INCLUDED HEADACHES AND FATIGUE.
A PRICE SOME MAY BE WILLING TO PAY FOR WEIGHT LOSS. AND SPEAKING OF PRICE, ACCORDING TO THE DRUGMAKER'S WEBSITE, OZEMPIC CAN COST ABOUT $900 A MONTH. THAT WOULDN'T BE COVERED BY INSURANCE IF YOU'RE USING IT FOR OFF-LABEL USES. THE COMPANY ALSO ADMITS THAT BECAUSE OF THE DEMAND AND SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, THEY ARE HAVING TROUBLE IN SOME CASES AND SOME DIABETES HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THOSE PRESCRIPTIONS. GUYS. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. >> JOINING US WITH MORE INSIGHT, DR. NATALIE AZAR. GOOD MORNING. SO A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IS IT SAFE? IS THERE ANY DOWNSIDE ASSUMING YOU CAN AFFORD IT TO TAKING SOMETHING LIKE THIS? >> LET'S JUST SET THE FRAMEWORK AGAIN OFF OF KRISTEN'S PIECE. THIS IS FOR TYPE TWO DIABETES, IT REGULATES GLAD SUGAR AND TARGETS THAT AREA IN THE BRAIN THAT SENDS THE SIGNAL OF FEELING FULL EARLY. IT'S HELPFUL FOR WEIGHT LOSS AND TYPE 2 DIABETES IT CAN REDUCE THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS.
IT'S EXPENSIVE, $900 A MONTH. YOU WOULD NEED TO TAKE THE MEDICINE INDEFINITELY. ONCE YOU STOP IT, YOU THEORETICALLY CAN REGAIN ALL OF THAT WEIGHT. THAT'S KEY. YOU MENTIONED SIDE EFFECTS. THERE ARE SIDE EFFECTS THAT CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH IT, INCLUDING NAUSEA, VOMITING AND PANCREATITIS, ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY, GALLBLADDER PROBLEMS. >> IF YOU HAD A FRIEND WHO SAID I'M THINKING ABOUT USING THIS, I WANT TO DROP 25 POUNDS, DO YOU THINK IT'S SAFE ENOUGH TO SAY IT'S NOT GOING TO HARM YOU, DO IT? >> HERE IS THE THING. IT CAN POTENTIALLY HARM YOU, RIGHT? AND THIS GETS INTO THE WHOLE TOPIC OF USING A DRUG OFF LABEL. THE FDA STUDIED THIS DRUG AND ITS SISTER DRUG, THE SAME, YOU KNOW, ACTIVE INGREDIENT BUT IT IS MARKETED ACTUALLY FOR WEIGHT LOSS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OBESE OR OVERWEIGHT WHO HAVE ONE HEALTH RELATED CONDITION LIKE HYPERTENSION OR HIGH CHOLESTEROL. THE FDA STUDIES THE DRUG IN THAT POPULATION. THE FDA HASN'T STUDDED THE DRUG IN PEOPLE WHO AREN'T DIABETIC OR OVERWEIGHT. >> IS IT THE NOTION THAT WHATEVER RISKS THAT YOU MENTIONED ARE OUTWEIGHED BY THE RISK OF OBESITY AND THOSE HEALTH ISSUES? >> EXACTLY.
ANY TIME, YOU KNOW, THE BIG ISSUE IS HOW ARE FOLKS GETTING THIS DRUG, RIGHT?E BET OR OBESE HOW ARE YOU GETTING IT? >> HOW ARE THEY? >> THERE IS WEBSITES AND, YOU KNOW — >> YEAH, PLACES. >> SOME PEOPLE ARE OBTAINING PRESCRIPTIONS INAPPROPRIATELY. ANY TIME YOU PRESCRIBE — AND WE DO THIS. I DO THIS IN RHEUMATOLOGY. WE PRESCRIBE MEDICATIONS OFF LABEL BUT THERE HAS TO BE SHARED DECISION-MAKING AND THE PATIENT, YOU KNOW, HAS TO UNDERSTAND THAT POTENTIAL RISKS CAN HAPPEN. >> I THINK YOUR POINT ABOUT HOW IT ONLY LASTS FOR AS LONG AS YOU TAKE IT — >> EXACTLY. >> IT'S KIND OF A BIG THING. ONCE YOU STOP IT, YOU PUT THE WEIGHT BACK ON? >> POTENTIALLY, AND EXPERTS SAY YOU COULD GAIN EVEN MORE BECAUSE, REMEMBER, IT'S REGULATING INSULIN SECRETION AND AFFECTING HORMONES.
IT'S NOT GOING TO RESET YOU FOR LIFE. AND REMEMBER, WITH OZEMPIC I THINK THE AVERAGE WEIGHT LOSS WAS 14 POUNDS. THE OTHER IS 15% OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT. FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED THIS MEDICALLY MANAGED WEIGHT LOSS, IT IS A WONDERFUL TOOL, BUT THE SHORTAGES ARE REAL. PARTIALLY SUPPLIED. HOW MUCH OF THIS IS PLAYING INTO IT? THE FDA HAS BOTH OF THEM ON.
