Diabetics Suffer From ‘Slimming Injections’ Hype

Sugar is now more dangerous than gunpowder, says historian Yuval Harari. According to the Israeli, the risk of dying from obesity or related diseases such as diabetes now exceeds the risk of dying from human violence.

If you want to protect yourself, get a gun – if you can. GLP-1 is used in diabetes. The abbreviation stands for glucagon-like peptide 1 – a natural gut hormone that is formed when we eat and sends satiety signals to our brain. GLP-1 drugs lower blood sugar and are mainly used in the treatment of diabetes.

But not alone.

More and more people who are seriously overweight – or dissatisfied with their weight – are resorting to the same weapon. Because: The drug inhibits hunger and ensures that the stomach empties more slowly.

The use of the drugs as a weapon against annoying kilos was fueled by Elon Musk, among others. The founder of Tesla makes no secret of the fact that he lost weight with the help of the GLP-1 drugs Wegovy and Ozempic.

Only: the medicines are not a lifestyle product. Rather, they are for diabetics whose health is now at stake because of the hype. The high demand for medicines has created a shortage – also in Switzerland.

For weeks, there have been significant bottlenecks in the delivery of the drug Ozempic. “Sometimes diabetics can’t be adequately cared for,” says Dr. medical David Infanger, partner physician at Klinik Hirslanden and head of the Obesity and Metabolism Center in Zurich, to Watson.

And this despite the fact that Ozempic is not approved for the treatment of obesity in Switzerland. According to Infanger, demand far exceeds supply because Ozempic is often prescribed off-label. The maximum costs are approximately CHF 130 per month.

For diabetics, the shortage means that they have to switch to other medicines, which can also lead to supply bottlenecks. In addition, the change means a considerable extra time in the medical consultation.

“This is because the patients have to be re-instructed on how to use it and the secretariats are reaching their limits due to the frequent telephone questions about availability,” says the senior doctor. There is also a risk of intolerance to a new drug.

There are also bottlenecks in the supply of the blood pressure-lowering drug Saxenda, the first and only approved GLP-1-RA drug used for weight loss, which is also covered by health insurance. It is prescribed for the treatment of obesity from a BMI of more than 35 kg/m² (body weight divided by height in meters and square) or from a BMI of more than 27 kg/m², with concomitant diseases (precursor to diabetes, diabetes type 2 mellitus, high blood pressure, increased fat in the blood). Delivery without a doctor’s prescription is not permitted.

Despite the approval, demand at Saxenda is also significantly greater than supply. “This forces us to reduce Saxenda to the lowest effective dose in patients already being treated with it,” says Infanger. As a result, there is a risk that the weight loss demanded by the health insurers can no longer be achieved, as a result of which the health insurance obligation lapses.

Due to the reduced supply, new prescriptions for obese patients are currently forced to be cautious – until the drug is available again in sufficient quantities.

The high demand fuels the black market. The drugs would also be sold as a copycat product with questionable ingredients. “Even by a specialist, counterfeits can hardly be distinguished from the original products,” warns David Infanger.