goddamn scary shit. I considered ozempic but didn’t go for it cuz I’m a scaredy cat, despite many supposed experts online saying it’s perfectly safe.
goddamn scary shit. I considered ozempic but didn’t go for it cuz I’m a scaredy cat, despite many supposed experts online saying it’s perfectly safe.
Let’s keep in mind here that this is a medical malpractice lawyer talking to a sympathetic journalist. Malpractice lawyers are going to be excited about rapid uptake of any drug because it’s going to mean more work for them, and potentially big payouts in class action suits.
There’s definitely noise to be made about people using the drug for off-label and largely cosmetic reasons, like being otherwise healthy but wanting to lose 20lbs. For people with diabetes, insulin resistance, or people who have other issues that make it very difficult to control their calorie balance, the benefits of consistent, reliable weight control will outweigh a lot of other side effects. Obesity, regardless of your diet or activity level, causes significantly increased risk for any number of medical problems, not to mention obesity being a major risk factor for serious COVID complications.
Worrying about the risk of cancer from a drug without considering the risk of cancer, joint issues, acquiring type 2 diabetes, respiratory issues, etc. is irrational. If the math works out that the drug is worse than all that then sure, let’s be careful about it or more strictly regulate it, but “new drug has side effects” is a dog bites man story until there’s some clear evidence that it’s more.
I don’t know if you watched the video. The concern for me wasn’t just typical “side effects” from taking drugs, or doing a cost-benefit analysis of Ozempic vs Obesity.
The main cause for the lawsuit, per this video, seems to be permanent nerve damage and stomach paralysis which means they will never be able to digest food properly. That is not a side effect, or at else the severity, that was disclosed properly to people taking this drug for obesity.
Obesity is an off-label use for this drug, but one the company fully intended to pursue from Day One. After FDA approval for diabetes, they informed doctors and others that the drug can be used for weight loss. Why do it this way rather than getting FDA approval for it re:obesity?
All this paints a picture that either they knew or were negligent/careless about the possibility of serious side effects that would prevent the drug from being marketed as a magic cure for obesity. Who would suffer permanent inability to digest food in order to lose 20 lbs? Not many people. It’s Ozempic’s promise as a “cure” for obesity that gave the company a massive boost in the stock market, not diabetes. The fact that they actively encouraged its use in that matter should be fully investigated.
It’s been approved for weight loss since 2021 under the brand name Wegovy. The only difference between Ozempic and Wegovy is Wegovy is dosed slightly higher.