Yasmina Kattou, edited by Laura Laplaud
In the United States, more and more people are injecting antidiabetics to lose weight. These people prick themselves at Ozempic and broadcast the videos on social networks. The Medicines Agency and Health Insurance announce reinforced monitoring of this product, because in France too, the drug is diverted from its use.
It is a phenomenon that is exploding across the Atlantic: to lose weight, people inject themselves with an antidiabetic, called Ozempic. Ozempic-related hashtags garner more than 500 million views on the TikTok social network. Women, who very often are far from being overweight, and who advocate rapid weight loss thanks to injections.
In France, the National Medicines Agency (ANSM) and Health Insurance announced on Wednesday the “reinforced surveillance” of Ozempic, explaining that “field feedback indicates misuse”. If the phenomenon is more limited than in the United States, it does exist in France.
Of 215,000 patients treated with Ozempic, more than 2,000 are non-diabetic
The ANSM estimates that out of 215,000 patients treated with Ozempic, more than 2,000 are actually non-diabetics. However, Ozempic can have serious health consequences for people who use it as an appetite suppressant. “We are exposed to unknown risks, to immediate risks which are the usual gastrointestinal risks such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain. But also much more serious longer-term risks, such as pancreatitis or thyroid cancer if the drug is taken in large doses or for a very long time”, Isabelle Yoldjian, medical director at the ANSM.
The ANSM also fears that this misuse will create a shortage. “Using this treatment in people who do not need it is potentially to ensure that diabetic patients no longer have it when they need it”, she continues at the microphone of Europe 1. to stop this phenomenon, the health authorities invite pharmacists to report any suspicious prescriptions.