Ozempic, an antidiabetic who has become the star of social networks, will be subject to “reinforced surveillance” in France, the Health Insurance and the ANSM (Medication Safety Agency) announced this Wednesday in a joint press release. This drug is promoted by some influencers for its weight-loss properties, raising fears of supply problems and risks to non-diseased people who take it.
“Field reports report misuse in non-diabetics for the purpose of losing weight,” says the statement, recalling that its use should be reserved for diabetics.
On TikTok, the hashtag #Ozempic it currently tops out at over 500 million views. “I started Ozempic six weeks ago,” says an American tiktoker in a video viewed nearly 100,000 times. “I didn’t do any exercises, I just injected myself with the product!”
2,185 Ozempic recipients considered non-diabetic
Therefore, health authorities will strengthen surveillance of Ozempic by monitoring sales and reimbursement data, reports of non-compliant use, and reports of adverse events to regional pharmacovigilance centers. This medicine is normally only available with a prescription, for the treatment of poorly controlled type 2 diabetes.
According to the data cited by the ANSM, between October 2021 and October 2022, approximately 600,000 patients received a drug from the GLP-1 analogue class, including 215,000 patients from the Ozempic specialty. Among the latter, “2185 Ozempic beneficiaries can be considered non-diabetic according to Health Insurance estimates,” says Health Insurance, thus estimating misuse at around 1%.
“Limited” deviations according to the authorities, who are however concerned about the impact on the availability of the product for diabetic patients.
Risk of supply tensions and health problems
Thus, the ANSM and the Novo Nordisk laboratory that market this drug have noticed tensions in the supply, particularly due to an explosion in demand worldwide. Consulted by AFP in February, Novo Nordisk admitted that its “current supply capacity does not always cover this excess demand” and lamented “intermittent availability and periodic shortages.”
Therefore, the drug is in short supply in Australia.
On the other hand, Ozempic was never approved as a weight loss treatment. It can “give rise to potentially serious adverse effects, such as gastrointestinal disorders, pancreatitis or hypoglycemia,” health authorities warn.
For Professor Jean-Luc Faillie, in charge of the drug’s pharmacovigilance, the risks of taking it are “controlled” in view of the benefits in diabetes but “there are always uncertainties, especially in long-term obese patients.”
“If we use it to lose a few kilos, then the therapeutic benefit is zero, it is only aesthetic while the risks are always present,” he warns.
Source: BFM TV
