Popularity of Ozempic's use for weight loss prompts new bill from New York City Councilmember
NEW YORK -- Diabetes drugs like Ozempic have gained popularity for weight loss, but a New York City Councilmember is hoping to raise more awareness about side effects with a new bill.
She told CBS New York's Jenna DeAngelis she's also been inundated with complaints from diabetes patients unable to access their life-saving meds.
Upper East Side resident Ruth Cox says it took calls to six New York City pharmacies to fill her prescription for Mounjaro, a medication she takes to treat her diabetes, improving her blood sugar.
"It was very worrisome," she said. "It's immediately effective, and I don't want to have to wonder what will happen if I can't access the medication."
The prescription drug is among those growing in popularity for their weight loss benefits.
City Councilmember Julie Menin wants to raise awareness on potential side effects of such drugs, introducing a bill Thursday that would require the city health department to release information on "the consequences of off-label use for weight loss of prescription drugs."
"The point of the bill is not to say, 'Don't use Ozempic' or 'You can't use these drugs.' It's more to inform consumers of the serious side effects with these drugs," Menin said.
"Off-label use" means the use of a prescription drug in a manner not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
For example, Ozempic is FDA-approved for diabetes patients, and Wegovy is approved for chronic weight management for those with obesity. They're known as GLP-1 agonists.
"The mechanism by which they work is they do reduce appetite," said Dr. Holly Lofton, director of the NYU Langone Weight Management Program.
She added, "Because we have done the studies to determine the safety and efficacy for these medications for weight loss and the people who have BMI 27 and higher, and that's the group that should be considered for it clinically. We don't have evidence of what will happen to people who have a BMI of 25 or 24, and that's why this should be regulated. And if anyone's thinking in this prescription for themselves, they want to make sure their prescribers asking the right questions."
Lofton says side effects are usually gastrointestinal and can include nausea, diarrhea, constipation and heartburn.
"There are some patients who are not candidates for this class of medication if they have a family history or personal history of medullary thyroid cancer, so it's important that every person who is screened to consider Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss or diabetes should be asked, do you have a personal or family history of this condition?" she said. "Another contraindication is history of pancreatitis."
Menin hopes to not only raise awareness with legislation but also wants to address drug supply.
"It's unacceptable that New Yorkers who suffer from diabetes are having trouble accessing these life-saving drugs," she said.
The maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, Novo Nordisk, said it's still reviewing the details of the bill so it cannot comment at this time.
Regarding shortages of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk said in part, "We ask that healthcare professionals prescribe our medicines consistent with their FDA-approved indications." The company also added that they have been "steadily increasing capacity to produce more Wegovy than ever before."
Novo Nordisk noted that Wegovy and Ozempic "are not interchangeable and should not be used outside of their approved indications."