And there was a new weight loss trend taking over social media for users looking to shed some pounds. People are turning to a diabetes medication, leaving doctors concerned over a potential shortage as demand spikes. ABC's Stephanie Ramos has the story. This morning Ozempic, a popular medication typically prescribed for people with type 2 diabetes, is reportedly being used off label for weight loss by social media users. It's here the FDA has reported intermittent shortages of the drug. Social media users like tick Tock or Alyssa Clayton praising the drugs results for slimming down, Alyssa sharing these before and after photos of the effects of the medication over the course of 18 months. I wanted something that was not invasive being pre diabetic. That's scary for me. I mean, if I'm 60 pounds lighter now than I was a year ago, I I feel like that has increased the quality of my life and hopefully the length of my life.
Ozempic, an FDA approved treatment for Type 2 diabetes, is known to improve blood sugar alongside diet and exercise to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes. Although Ozempic is not explicitly approved for chronic weight management, it can't be prescribed. Off label and used safely for this purpose for people who are obese, however, the weight loss drug will govie, also made by Novo Nordisk, is FDA approved for weight loss.
It's the same drug semaglutide, but prescribed at a higher dosage. According to the FDA, both drugs are in short supply. One of the reasons we have a shortage of ozempic is that a version of the same medicine called we Govi has been approved by the FDA. But because of supply chain issues, it's been in very short supply and so people have been using ozempic instead, Novo Nordisk telling ABC News. We are currently experiencing intermittent supply disruptions on various doses of ozempic due to the combination of incredible demand coupled with overall global supply constraints. While product continues to be manufactured and shipped, patients in some areas of the country will experience delays we are making both short and long term. Investments to solve for these temporary challenges..