Semaglutide: Misuse of Diabetes 2 Medicine for Weight Loss



A drug called Semaglutide, which is sold under different brand names, was approved in 2017 to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D) and in 2021 (under a different brand name) for weight loss. This Type 2 diabetes medicine has become widely popular because of one of its side effects: weight loss. 

Both the buzz and surge in demand for semaglutide have created a shortage of the medicine, according to the U.S. FDA, which is expected to remain the same for several months, causing alarm among those with diabetes who rely on Semaglutide to help manage their blood sugar level. 

The non-diabetic individuals who are seeking slimmer waistlines are responsible for driving this growing demand. Experts caution that it’s crucial to understand Semaglutide is not a miracle medicine—and that there are risks to using the medicine outside of its intended use.

Endocrinologist Gregory Dodell, based in Central Park Endocrinology, stated that I`ve noticed an increase in Semaglutide inquiries from individuals. Dr Dodell regularly prescribes it to those with Type 2 diabetes (T2D), but he is hesitant in order to use the medicine in individuals with weight loss. 

"It works while individuals are using it, but once individuals stop, they gain back two-thirds of the weight they lost if not more, and occasionally weight loss plateaus, so individuals have to go off or stay on it for sure," he said.

Here’s what you need to know about the misuse of Semaglutide:

According to several reports, there is a possible existence of the issue of misuse of diabetes medication semaglutide. In line with this, in March 2023, the French National Agency for Drug Safety reported ‘boost surveillance’ levels for the medicine. In fact, since the month of September 2022, the medication agency has been cautioned/warned by a wide of videos on social platforms and by pharmacists reporting forged prescriptions and the use of the medicine for weight loss in non-diabetic individuals. 

The promotion of semaglutide as a weight-loss treatment on Social media platforms and the associated surge in demand may well have contributed to the current shortage of the drug. One could hypothesize that the non-realistic genres of physical attractiveness being promoted for otherwise healthy, non-obese individuals may be behind these putative levels of drug misuse. 

Conclusion:

The existing data, which manifests a possible misuse of semaglutide, will need to be confirmed by further empirical analysis. These will be helpful in better elaborating the GLP-1R agonists’ central pharmacodynamics, such as their interaction with other receptors, the levels of existence of agonists GLP1-R for acquisition from rogue websites, and, with the help of precisely planned epidemiological researches/studies, the features of their potential misuse in general as well as vulnerable populations.

Reference:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10384093/

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