The “excessive” use of slimming injections for aesthetic reasons has had “serious consequences” for public health, European health chiefs warned today.
The injections, which are administered weekly, are expressly designed to help patients with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels or obese people lose weight for health reasons.
Drugs containing semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic/Wegovy, Mounjaro and Saxenda, have been hailed as game-changers in the fight against obesity, which costs billions in healthcare costs.
But heads of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have said its use among non-obese people who “do not have weight-related health problems” has “raised concerns”.
They say this has exacerbated existing drug shortages, meaning patients who need them most cannot access them, with “serious consequences for public health.”
Wegovy and Ozempic work by causing the body to produce a hormone called GLP-1 that is released naturally from the intestines after meals.
Ozempic is available on the NHS as a treatment to control blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Last May, it was also approved for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy and was launched in September on the NHS for weight loss in overweight or obese patients with weight-related health problems.
The intervention comes amid growing concern in the UK over the number of normal and underweight patients needing urgent care after receiving injections in a bid to become “beach body ready”.
Young women, in particular, are believed to be obtaining the drug through online pharmacies, which offer it for between £150 and £200 a month, after providing false information about their appearance and health.
In some cases, people who receive injections without a legitimate medical cause are even believed to do so as a result of eating disorders.
Semaglutide, more commonly known as Ozempic, has been available on the NHS since 2019 for type 2 diabetics. control blood sugar levels.
Another drug, semaglutide, was also approved for weight loss in 2022 under the brand name Wegovy.
Tirzepatide, called Mounjaro, was given the green light earlier this year for the same reason.
The injections, which belong to a class of medications called GPL1 agonists, have been shown to help users lose up to 33 pounds (15.3 kg) on average over 68 weeks.
They work by tricking the brain into thinking it is full, which dramatically reduces appetite and, as a result, helps people lose weight.
According to NHS guidelines, Wegovy should only be prescribed to patients who have a body mass index (BMI) over 35, or a BMI of 30 and at least one weight-related health problem, such as high blood pressure.
While private prescribers are not subject to this, they should still follow general professional guidelines and consider national guidelines to ensure that only patients who need the medicine have access to it.
Under the EMA’s new warning, the agency said the injections “are not approved and should not be used for cosmetic weight loss.”
This includes nonobese patients or those who are overweight who “do not have weight-related health problems,” the agency said.
Instead, health professionals should “consider offering these people lifestyle advice.”
EU member states are also “encouraged to develop guidelines” to help prioritize which patients need these drugs during shortages, the agency added.
“These guidelines can help ensure that patients in need receive access to these essential treatments during times of limited supply.”
Semaglutide has been shown to help users lose up to 33 pounds (15.3 kg) on average over 68 weeks. The treatments trick the brain into thinking it is full, dramatically reducing appetite and preventing users from overeating. However, huge global demand has caused counterfeit versions to flood the market. Health officials have already seized more than 600 potentially fake Ozempic pens across the UK since the beginning of 2023.
Manufacturers of weight loss vaccines that have marketing authorization must also ensure that promotional activity is accompanied by weight management awareness campaigns.
The enormous global demand for these vaccines has been met by a wave of counterfeit versions flooding the market.
Reports of fake weight loss schemes in the UK first emerged last August.
UK health officials say they have already seized more than 600 potentially fake Ozempic pens across the country since the beginning of 2023.
The watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), warned that patients had suffered seizures and even fallen into a coma after taking fake injections sold online.
The MHRA also said many do not even contain semaglutide and are often just insulin pens that have been repackaged to look real, misleading customers.
When patients inject themselves, this increase in insulin causes a rapid drop in blood sugar, which can be potentially fatal.
Among its list of recommendations, the EMA also warned that people “should be aware” that injections sold online “could be falsified and therefore have serious consequences for your health.”
They urged patients not to purchase these medications online without a prescription.
Clinics charge around £40 for a week’s supply of Mounjaro, or tirzepatide. Data suggests that patients taking it can expect to lose up to 20 percent of their body weight. Anyone with a BMI over 30 (the technical classification of obesity) can obtain a private prescription.
According to the latest data, digestive problems were the most common side effects of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro. These included about one in five participants who suffered from nausea and diarrhea, and about one in 10 reported vomiting or diarrhea.
Responding to the guidance, Nick Kaye, president of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “The MHRA already issued a national patient safety alert last year and this new announcement from the EMA is likely to impose stricter controls on the distribution of this medicine in the United Kingdom.
He added: “Pharmacies want to ensure that those most in need of legitimate treatment are prioritized and we are pleased that expanding manufacturing distribution has been recommended.”
The revolutionary injections have been hailed by the likes of Elon Musk and Jeremy Clarkson.
Ministers plan to hand out the drug to millions of overweight Britons to cut the country’s swollen benefits bill. Over time, children could also receive the injections.
Like any medication, semaglutide can have known side effects that vary in both frequency and severity, such as nausea, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, stomach pain, headaches, and dizziness.
Some patients have also suffered hair loss while taking them.
The latest NHS data shows that 26 per cent of adults in England are obese and a further 38 per cent are overweight but not obese.
Experts have pointed to a lack of exercise and poor diets high in ultra-processed foods as key factors in the UK’s obesity epidemic.