How likely is it that the latest health fad - Ozempic and related GLP drugs - is going to flame out?

No. They’ll just get better. The GLP-1 agonists are amazing meds. And I wouldn’t call it a “health fad”. They’re effective antiobesity meds, diabetic meds, and there are improvements in chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular improvements.

What @Caravanfan said. NovoNordisk (makers of Ozempic) is already working on a new one which I’m sure will be even better. I would still be on Ozempic if I wasn’t one of the 1% of people whose hair began falling out. I lost about ⅔ of it. SO disappointed because it was freakin’ amazing – both for diabetes and weight loss.

It’s a fad. It’s a gimmick. It’s a fashion statement. It won’t last long until the novelty wears off.

I don’t take it so I can’t speak from personal experience, but from what I’ve read, if insurance chooses not to cover it, it’s very expensive, like 1k a month. For many people, that wouldn’t be do-able. Also, from what I have heard, once you stop taking it, some, not all, of the weight returns. I’m not bashing it because when I see Oprah who has admitted to taking it and other celebs who haven’t admitted to taking it but I suspect they may have, their weight loss is admirable.

Ozempic is the drug for diabetes; Wegovy is the one for weight loss. Yes, it’s expensive, but I was approved for the Patient Assistance Program so I got it free.

Interestingly, I just read that it costs less than $5 to make a month’s worth. Important people are paying attention.

https://tinyurl.com/yb38363j

@gondwanalon I’m not surprised that someone who is in great shape and works at it would dis any drug which helps people with health issues lose weight. I’ve read enough of your posts about your health to understand your bias against against anything less than hard work and good health.

@elbanditoroso Yes, GLP drugs have been OKed by the FDA. But they seem to have become the latest fad in medical care rather quickly, just in the last year or two.

Maybe they’ve been approved and have become popular because they’re the first drug to come along that works so well. And one or two years isn’t exactly overnight.

@smudges I saw that, about it costing $5 to make. I think that will bring pressure on the company to lower their price. If they’re charging 1k to people who aren’t covered, for something that costs them $5 to make, they’re definitely engaging in predatory practices.

^^Yep, just another example of the pharmaceutical industry taking advantage. Biden has stopped that for insulin.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/03/02/fact-sheet-president-bidens-cap-on-the-cost-of-insulin-could-benefit-millions-of-americans-in-all-50-states/

IMHO unless you’re morbidly obese using this for weight loss is a bad idea, it’s much better to make lifestyle changes. Diet and/or exercise, preferably and. It works. I get that these drugs may have some benefit but more than a healthy diet and exercise? I highly doubt it.

These drugs will be popular for as long as people want to avoid being fat.

The press has started attacking the manufacturer of Ozempic for making a month’s worth for $5 & selling it for $1K. I won’t be using it but I’m sure that many others will!!!

How does it work for weight loss?

@Dutchess_III https://arxiv.org/abs/2104.03902

? @Caravanfan…

@Caravanfan correct link?

Not until obesity becomes less of an issue.

If they are approved as weight loss drugs, it is because they work for losing weight, and the public good they do is understood to be greater than the harm. I don’t see this equation changing any time soon, unless something dramatically bad is discovered about the whole class of drugs. It’s kind of weird that you’re betting on something going horribly wrong with the people who take it – you are moralizing about other people’s health, and appealing to some kind of universal justice that will show them all.

I think it’s easier to see the moment as a gold rush, not a fad. Sure it’s crass and people are falling over themselves for it and there’s a whole ecosystem of scammers targeting those caught up in the hype, but that’s because there’s gold here.

I believe the opposite (consistent with many posts here) – that diabetes and obesity will become known as GLP deficiencies, that the medications will be helpful for many other conditions (such as addictions), that the cost will normalize (already only a couple hundred through compounding pharmacies), insurance will approve, and patients will easily be able to access the meds. I think they are groundbreaking. Also, I believe we will soon stop thinking of obesity as a lack of willpower or prefer “lifestyle changes” over medical treatment (fine for a small minority and great in combination with meds).