On, 4 March - World Obesity Day - the drug 'semaglutide' may not be a name that slips off the tongue. However, a brand name version of the same drug, Ozempic, increasingly does. It has been hailed as a miracle medicine for the treatment of obesity.
Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index (BMI) over 30 is considered obese.
In Ireland, almost 60% of adults are obese or overweight. Thousands of people here have already used the drug under medical supervision. It was originally licensed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes but is regularly being prescribed for treating obesity.
A massive global demand has driven shortage of the medicine, making it difficult for many patients in Ireland to obtain it. In turn, a black-market trade in counterfeit versions of Ozempic has emerged, which is concerning regulators and doctors across Ireland and Europe.
Professor Francis Finucane, a consultant endocrinologist and obesity specialist, spoke with Katie Hannon about Ozempic and the impact it's having on perceptions of obesity on Upfront: The Podcast.
"It mimics the messenger hormones that the gut sends to the brain. Basically, it helps us feel fuller, quicker after meals." Professor Finucane said.
"It also helps us feel more full between meals. That's an important part of the treatment of obesity. Needless to say, that leads to weight loss and helps with the complications that arise from obesity."
His practice in Galway has been using Ozempic with patients for seven years. He said that the bulk of his patients have benefited from using it.
"Over the last number of years, we’ve recognised how powerful semaglutide is. Many doctors are using it for the treatment of obesity. We’d have between 3,000 and 3,500 patients who have used the drug under our care over the last few years," Professor Finucane said.
LISTEN: Professor Francis Finucane speaks to Katie Hannon on Upfront: The Podcast
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"The drug has been very effective for most of the patients in our service who go on it. There's always going to be a small minority for whom the drug may be ineffective or there may be intolerable side effects."
As with all medications, there are risks associated with Ozempic. As a comparatively new drug, the very-long-term side effects are still being assessed. However, the indications are, according to Professor Finucane, that for the vast majority of patients it’s unlikely there will be any of significant concern.
"Occasionally there are more risky side effects such as pancreatitis. We’ve got to be very careful every time we prescribe this drug. Overall, the benefits far outweigh the risks," he said.
The soaring demand for Ozempic in Ireland and worldwide has been driven in part by endorsements by US-based social media influencers and celebrities, who have promoted its use for weight loss for those seeking cosmetic benefits.
This has led to growing 'hype’ around the drug online, and in particular on social media.
"I am not surprised that people are trying to find alternative sources for these drugs, and I'm not surprised they're looking online. I think they're being exploited in some cases by unscrupulous individuals who may wish to sell counterfeit drugs," Professor Finucane told Katie Hannon.
"When you look at obesity as the disease and the disorder that it is, the idea that people would just source the drug online and buy it for themselves, is really problematic," he added.
He said Ozempic isn’t a quick fix for those looking to avoid traditional routes towards weight loss, such as improved diet or exercise. Instead, he said people who took it were using it for help with self-control.
"They are not going on it in order that they can return to a life of greed and laziness. Rather, they're seeking to control, often, a problem with their appetite," Professor Finucane said.
"They're relieved by the fact that they no longer crave unhealthy foods and that they're able to undertake the exercise that they would have liked to have been doing beforehand."
He said as people increasingly understand the impact drugs like Ozempic can have on individuals, public and personal perceptions of obesity are shifting.
"The way people view obesity now is changing because of the understanding that it's a physiological problem. It doesn't make them more responsible or harder working. It just changes the physiological problem that they have."
"This is not a personal responsibility issue," he added.
Listen to Professor Francis Finucane speaking to Katie Hannon on Upfront: The Podcast here, on Apple Podcasts and on Spotify.
Watch Upfront with Katie Hannon at 10.35pm on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player where our panel and live studio audience will be reacting to tonight's RTÉ Investigates, Botox and beauty at any cost. And on World Obesity Day, Katie will ask why people are willing to jeopardize their health and well-being by opting for budget weight loss surgeries abroad.
