DATT President Andrew Dhanoo warns against off-label use of Ozempic

Andrew Dhanoo, President of the Diabetes Association of Trinidad and Tobago, cautioned against using the Diabetic drug Ozempic for its off-label use. Although Ozempic is not officially allowed in Trinidad and Tobago, due to its global trend, a shuttle trade has been set up. This trade has mostly been set up for its off-label use. People have increasingly started using it for weight loss.

Dhanoo warned that its use for weight loss might have many more side effects than expected benefits. This outweighs the benefits because you would need to use it for the rest of your life to sustain the weight loss.

While he expressed his concerns regarding using it for weight loss, he appreciated the success rate of the medicine in curing diabetic patients. He anticipated the circulation of Ozempic-like medicine for Diabetes in Trinidad and Tobago. He expects more glucagon-like peptide receptor activator-type medicines in the region.

One of the major ingredients in the Ozempic-like medicine is semaglutide which is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is also used for long-term obesity management. Although Ozempic is not officially allowed for usage of weight management, other medicines like Wegovy are.

Wegovy contains a higher amount of semaglutide than Ozempic and was approved by the FDA in 2021 for preventing heart diseases and for aiding in obesity management. As stated by the FDA, Wegovy’s efficacy and safety were studied in a 68-week trial. Individuals who received Wegovy lost around 12.4% of their principal body weight, hence proving its benefits.

However, it is advised not to pair it with any other GLP-1 mechanism medicine. Apart from the common side effects of Ozempic and Wegovy, such as nausea, vomiting, headache etc. Wegovy contains an added warning to not use it for peers involving the family history of Medullary thyroid carcinoma or in patients with conditions of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndrome type 2.

It is to be noted that the FDA approved Ozempic for treating Type 2 diabetes while Wegovy was approved for weight management and preventing heart risks. Even though they both are composed of semaglutide using any of them for their off label use may posses high risk than the popularized benefits.