WTF is Ozempic anyway?
Latest in an ongoing series to help you navigate the many offerings of the cosmetic work universe. Today - Ozempic: WTF is it, have I had it, would I have it, should you have it?
So… WTF is it?
It’s a brand name for semaglutide, which is the active ingredient in a drug approved to treat patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
What’s the point of it? I mean, what does it actually do?
The original intended use of semaglutide was to lower blood sugar by helping the pancreas make more insulin.
It’s been rebranded as Ozempic and Wegovy1, both of which are marketed as weight-loss drugs.
How does it work?
Ozempic/Wegovy are administered by a weekly injection, typically via a pen and are often self-administered. Dosage varies by patient/stage of weightloss.
Ozempic is NOT approved for use as long-term weight management.
Wegovy is in the UK and the US.
Their formulations and doses are different, their active ingredient is the same.
Both promote weight loss by increasing the effects of GLP-1 in your body, increasing feelings of satiety, i.e. making you feel full more quickly than you otherwise would, which makes you eat less. Which makes you lose weight2.
And why would someone want it?
It’s pretty effective in achieving weight loss, with losses of up to 15% BMI in people who were severely overweight/obese who also followed a low-calorie diet for the first 8 weeks.
How much is it?
UK - if prescribed by an NHS doctor, regular prescription charges apply. If obtained privately, it’ll be between £200-3003.
N.B. UK doctors are not permitted to prescribe Ozempic for weight loss in the UK, to protect supplies for type 2 diabetic patients.
**Exercise extreme caution if a website claims to be able to sell you Ozempic for weight loss, the site is likely a scam.**
Online weight loss clinics (including those by Boots and Superdrug) can legally sell you Wegovy.
Wegovy is currently sold out everywhere in the UK.
US - around $1000 per pen. America, man.
Has anyone I would have heard of talked about taking it?
Amy Schumer, Tracey Morgan, Chelsea Handler, Elon Musk have all declared their usage. Many more have denied using it,
Have I taken it?
No.
Would I take it?
I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t Googled it 😂. But I’m not a candidate, regardless of how I may feel about my BMI.
Should you take it?
I would not recommend buying drugs on the black market.
If your doctor/health provider agrees that you’re a candidate and you can get your hands on some, it does seem to be extremely effective.
Anything else I think you should know?
The side effects are pretty brutal.
Your regular appetite comes back once you stop taking it and many users gain weight rapidly after they stop taking it. The drug is currently only recommended for use for 2 years for weight loss purposes.
And semaglutide has only very recently been approved specifically for weight loss purposes, so the long-term effects cannot be known.
All participants of the clinical trials (that I could find) were obese/overweight patients who had unsuccessfully tried to lose weight in the past.
If you can lose and maintain weight loss through eating less and moving more, the benefits are pretty negligible4: around an extra 75 grams for every kilo lost5. For £200+ a month 🤔.
Reminder that any cosmetic work undertaken should be in accordance with The 6 rules of cosmetic work. Here they are, in case you missed them the first time…
There’s also Saxenda, but that seems to be declining in popularity, probably because it’s less effective and requires daily - rather than weekly - use. But it’s in the same family as Ozempic and Wegovy if you her it being bandied about.
#physics
The actual charge by the manufacturer in the UK is £73.25-£175.80 (depending on dose)
#maths