Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier discusses the risks of using the diabetes drug Ozempic for weight loss on “The Big Money Show.”
There are a handful of barriers that can prevent patients from obtaining the highly sought-after drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, including increased cost, lack of insurance coverage and availability.
Last year, there was a temporary national shortage of both drugs after celebrities and some notable figures touted their effects as a weight-loss treatment — including billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
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Wegovy vs Ozempic
Wegovy and Ozempic are the same drug – semaglutide. They just have different FDA-approved dosages and intended uses.
Uzbek was approved by federal health officials in 2017 and marketed for medical use in the treatment of type 2 diabetes “with weight loss secondary to the effects and mechanism of action of the drug.”
Wegovy was approved four years later specifically for chronic weight management in adults who are obese or overweight and have at least one weight-related condition, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol, according to the US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA). .
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk said neither drug was “intended to be used as a lifestyle medicine”.
“Hiccup” due to availability
Novo Nordisk told FOX Business that all dose contents of Wegovy are now available in retail pharmacies nationwide, but warned that “pharmacies may experience normal delays given the time it takes to order the product from their local center distribution and geographical variations”.
The pharmacist also said that most doses of Ozempic are available for type 2 diabetes patients in the US, but that there are still “intermittent supply interruptions” for some doses.
This disruption is “expected until mid-March – due to the combination of incredible demand coupled with general global supply constraints,” the company said.
The Novo Nordisk logo is seen on Bagsvaerd outside Copenhagen, Denmark, February 1, 2017. (Scanpix Denmark/Liselotte Sabroe via Reuters / Reuters Photos)
| Heart | Security | last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVO | NOVO NORDISK A/S | 141.22 | -2.68 | -1.86% |
“While the product continues to be manufactured and shipped, patients in some areas of the country will experience delays with these doses,” Novo Nordisk said in a statement, adding that patients “who are concerned about continuing treatment should contact your healthcare provider.”
Gastroenterologist and obesity expert Dr. North Carolina-based Christopher McGowan said some of his patients are still experiencing “hiccups in their pharmacies,” which he says “likely reflect shipping and distribution issues.”
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“The result is that patients are forced to hunt for medications, often from multiple pharmacies, and may have to adjust their medication strength or, worst of all, stop the medication altogether,” McGowan said.
New York-based endocrinologist Dr. Jaime Mullally told FOX Business that he still gets messages from some patients that they have trouble taking such drugs. However, “it’s not as many as it was a few months ago” when he received messages every day, he said.
Medicines are needed indefinitely
McGowan also emphasized that this is a long-term drug.
“As I always tell my patients, starting Wegovy means staying Wegovy,” he said.
Studies have shown that patients who stop semaglutide will regain two-thirds of the weight they lost within the next year, according to McGowan.
A woman is standing in the bathroom holding a measuring tape. (Annette Riedl/image alliance via Getty Images/Getty Images)
“Because obesity is a chronic, progressive and relapsing disease, weight regain is inevitable once you withdraw the drug,” he said.
This will ultimately create a barrier “for patients who may object to long-term use of a drug and for health care providers who, unfortunately, often do not see obesity as a chronic disease,” he continued.
McGowan argued that obesity should be treated like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. That means once you “start a drug, you stick with it,” McGowan said.
When Mullally prescribes these drugs to her patients, she emphasizes that it is because they are obese and have a serious medical condition that improves with weight loss, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol or diabetes.
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“We’re treating a medical disease. We’re not about not treating people who need to lose five to 10 pounds to look good in a swimsuit,” Mullally said.
Even though this drug is used to treat a medical illness, according to McGowan and Mullally, patients still face insurance issues.
The antidiabetic drug “Ozempic” (semaglutide) produced by the Danish pharmaceutical company “Novo Nordisk”. (Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Insurance coverage
In fact, McGowan argued that the lack of insurance coverage is “the single biggest obstacle.”
“Only a small minority of commercial insurance plans cover Wegovy, and government insurance specifically excludes coverage of anti-obesity drugs,” he continued.
McGowan stressed that health insurance continues to treat obesity, which he says affects 42 percent of Americans, “as a personal choice or a lack of will, when that’s completely false.”
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“That has to change,” he said. “Insurance companies would not deny coverage for cancer, heart disease or diabetes (conditions that often have a direct root in obesity), and obesity should be no different.”
Mullally said that while insurance coverage is “fairly good” for patients with type 2 diabetes, “adoption of obesity drug coverage … is still a significant barrier.” At least 50 percent of her patients don’t have coverage for obesity drugs, including Wegovy, she said.
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Society tends to think of obesity as a matter of willpower and that people just need to eat less and exercise more.
“As an obesity management expert we have come to understand that it is not that simple. We have an obesity epidemic and we need a paradigm shift in thinking about obesity as a medical disease,” he continued.
High cost
McGown noted that Wegovy costs more than $1,300 per month, without insurance, and since it must be taken indefinitely, that can add up.
“This is a significant investment for patients and one that few can afford without full insurance coverage,” he said.
The antidiabetic drug “Ozempic” (semaglutide) produced by the Danish pharmaceutical company “Novo Nordisk”. (Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the average monthly cost for Ozempic is around $950 to $1,000. That’s slightly lower than Wegovy, but still cost-prohibitive in the absence of insurance coverage, he said.
Since Ozempic is only FDA-approved to treat diabetes, patients seeking to get this drug through insurance must have a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. Anyone who wants to use Ozempic off-label to treat weight will forced to pay out of pocket, according to McGowan.
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