Ozempic: The Powerful Weight-Loss Drug Selling Out Across the Country
It’s effective. But it’s also controversial.
The blockbuster medicine is a once-weekly injectable that was meant primarily to help regulate blood sugar in diabetic patients. But it came with a fortuitous side effect: consistent and noticeable weight loss. For some users this rate of weight loss was 10 pounds a month or more. And when you’re struggling with diabetes, even this small reduction in weight can come with encouraging health benefits.
It’s no wonder then that it’s been making headlines.
Ozempic was approved by the FDA in 2017 for use in adults with type 2 diabetes and is now being prescribed to adults struggling with obesity. Celebrities — including Elon Musk — have either admitted to taking the drug or are speculated to be on it due to their rapid weight loss. As people are learning about the drug and becoming eager to experience the benefits for themselves, the manufacturer Novo Nordisk has had a difficult time keeping up with demand. There have been shortages since fall and winter of last year, due in large part to global supply constraints.
Now, it’s not unusual for doctors to prescribe drugs to people who aren’t the primary target. For Ozempic the primary target is diabetics, and yet many doctors are…
