Latest news with #Saxenda
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Pharmacy worker who stole weight loss drug Ozempic and sold it on black market is spared jail
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
Mint
17-07-2025
- Health
- Mint
Does insurance cover weight-loss injections or bariatric surgery?
Obesity is no longer seen as a cosmetic issue — it's a chronic lifestyle disease linked to diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and infertility. The Indian insurance industry has begun to recognize this shift. However, coverage still varies across types of treatment — bariatric surgery versus injections. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) issued a landmark circular in October 2020 that made it mandatory for all health insurers to include coverage for medically necessary bariatric surgery under certain conditions. As per the guidelines: 'Bariatric surgery shall not be excluded when it is medically necessary and prescribed by a medical practitioner for treatment of obesity and co-morbid conditions.' BMI ≥ 40 (morbid obesity) without comorbidities, or BMI ≥ 35 with serious co-morbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea and heart disease This move was a big shift, as earlier, most insurers treated bariatric surgery as a cosmetic or elective procedure. Now, if these medical thresholds are met, hospitalisation costs and surgery can be covered, subject to policy terms, waiting periods, and exclusions. In contrast, anti-obesity injections — such as GLP-1 receptor agonists like Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) and Liraglutide (Saxenda) — are still not universally covered. But, Ozempic (Semaglutide) is approved in India for Type 2 diabetes. If prescribed as part of diabetes management, it may be covered under policies that allow outpatient benefits or chronic care riders. Saxenda, which is approved abroad for weight loss but not yet widely approved for obesity in India, is typically not covered, especially for standalone weight loss. Most policies still exclude weight-loss medications under general exclusions unless they are part of the treatment of a covered illness. Review your policy documents for clauses around bariatric surgery and chronic condition riders. If you have Type 2 diabetes, PCOS, or cardiovascular risk, and have been prescribed GLP-1 injections, you may request pre-authorisation or medical necessity documentation and check The 2020 Irdai directive opened the door for medically necessary bariatric surgery, which is a big win for people with morbid obesity and related health issues. While insurance for obesity injections is still evolving, growing awareness and medical necessity documentation may improve chances of approval. Shilpa Arora is co-founder & COO at Insurance Samadhan.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Weight loss jabs linked to lower dementia and stroke risk
Weight loss jabs may offer a protective effect against dementia and stroke, according to a new study. People with type 2 diabetes and obesity who are taking the drugs are also less likely to die prematurely, researchers found. Academics said the benefits of drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro – including for managing weight and blood sugar levels – are well known, but other health benefits of the popular drugs remain 'unclear'. The study saw experts from Taiwan examine date on 60,000 people from around the world, with an average age of 58, who had type 2 diabetes and obesity. Around half were given GLP agonist drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide – which are sold under the brand names Wegovy and Mounjaro. Semaglutide is also the main ingredient for the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic. GLP agonists can reduce a person's appetite; slow down their digestion; reduce the amount of sugar the liver makes and they help the body to make more insulin when needed. The other half used other anti-diabetic medication. During a seven-year follow-up period, researchers found that people given the GLP agonist drugs appeared to have a 37% lower risk of dementia and a 19% reduced risk of stroke. GLP-1s like #Ozempic, #Saxenda, #Wegovy, or #Mounjaro are not an easy #weightloss hack. Find out more about:🔵what they are ❓🔵how they're used 💊🔵who they help 💪 🔗Learn more: — EU Medicines Agency (@EMA_News) January 4, 2025 They were also 30% less likely to die during the follow-up period. And when researchers looked at the data further they found even greater benefits in people aged 60 or older, women, and those with a body mass index score of 30 to 40. They found no differences in Parkinson's disease or brain bleeds. The academics said their findings suggest 'potential neuroprotective and cerebrovascular benefits' of the drugs but they called for more studies to confirm the findings. 'These findings suggest that semaglutide and tirzepatide may offer neuroprotective and cerebrovascular benefits beyond glycemic control, potentially improving long-term cognitive and survival outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity,' they wrote in the journal JAMA Network Open. Commenting on the study, Professor Tara Spires-Jones, director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh and group leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute, said: 'This is a very interesting study adding to evidence that GLP1 receptor agonists are associated with a lower risk of dementia in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity. 'This type of study cannot determine whether the drugs reduced disease risk by directly protecting the brain. 'It is highly likely that effectively treating type 2 diabetes and obesity would reduce dementia and stroke risk as they are known risk factors for these conditions. 'Further work is needed including randomised clinical trials to confirm these drugs are protective in people with diabetes and obesity and other trials are needed to determine whether these drugs will be protective in people who do not have type 2 diabetes and obesity.' Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at Alzheimer's Society, said: 'It is well established that diabetes and obesity can increase your risk of developing dementia. 'This study supports existing evidence that shows these drugs may reduce dementia risk, particularly for people aged 60 and over who are living with type 2 diabetes and obesity. 'Although interesting, we can't draw conclusions from this study alone as it is an observational study, only a small number of people who took part went on to develop dementia and as the impact of these drugs on different types of dementia is not clear. 'There are clinical trials currently looking at whether drugs like these can be used to treat early-stage Alzheimer's disease, so this is a really exciting area being explored in the research fight against dementia.'
South Wales Argus
10-07-2025
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Mounjaro sales banned from being advertised by watchdog
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the nine rulings against the ads – one featuring reality TV personality Gemma Collins – made it 'crystal clear' that all injectable forms of weight-loss medication were prescription-only and therefore banned from being advertised to the public. The ASA said the rulings established that the advertising of named weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy, Mounjaro, Ozempic and Saxenda was banned, as was the use of various claims such as 'obesity treatment jab' and 'weight loss pen'. In December, the ASA warned businesses and individuals who were targeting members of the public with ads for the medicines. We've banned ads from nine advertisers for illegally promoting weight-loss prescription-only medicines (POMs) to the public — breaching both the law and the ad rules. 🎥 Watch to find out what this means for advertisers. — ASA (@ASA_UK) July 9, 2025 It said no-one operating in the industry could say they had not been warned that weight-loss prescription-only medicines 'must not be promoted to the public'. The ads banned this week include an Instagram post by Collins, posted on January 6, which promoted the weight-loss service Yazen. In a video, Collins stated: 'I'm starting this year two sizes down, thanks to Yazen's weight loss app and medication. It's really quick and easy to get started with Yazen, it has absolutely changed my life… I finally found something that actually I lose weight on.' She continued: 'Yes, there's, you know, reports and stuff. And I'm not telling anyone to go on this medication, but it is prescribed on the NHS.' Two complainants challenged whether the ad breached rules because it promoted prescription-only medication to the public. Yazen said the post had been intended to share information about their 'holistic, responsible approach to weight loss', and had not been intended to focus solely on medication. Following notification of the complaint, and in agreement with Collins, the post has been amended to remove any reference to prescription-only medications. Yazen said they would ensure that future posts were compliant with the advertising code. Collins said she took her responsibilities under the advertising code seriously and strove to comply with them. She accepted that her posts had promoted the Yazen weight-loss service and app, and said Yazen would approve any marketing materials she might post in future, and she would follow any guidance that the ASA provided. The ASA also banned an ad for prescription-only weight-loss medication posted by CheqUp, which read: 'No GP or pharmacy visit, just a 2-minute online consultation.' CheqUp told the ASA that they believed the ad had been created in line with what had become widespread industry practice in the weight-loss sector. They assured the ASA that the ad would not appear again. Other providers who have had their ads banned include Juniper UK, Cloud Pharmacy, and Phlo Clinic and SemaPen. In April, the ASA said a search in January found around 1,800 unique paid-for weight-loss ads which were identified as potentially advertising a prescription-only medicine. It has published a joint Enforcement Notice with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and General Pharmaceutical Council, making clear that ads for named weight-loss prescription-only medications are prohibited, including online, on social media and by influencers. Losing weight for a holiday is the biggest motivator for misusing Mounjaro for rapid results, says new research This comes as obesity experts at Chemist4U found that despite Mounjaro and other weight loss medications being designed and prescribed as a long term solution for obesity, more than one in four (28.6%), equivalent to 15 million Brits (15,784,439), would consider using weight loss medications to slim down just for a special occasion. Jason Murphy, Head of Pharmacy at Chemist4U says: 'Despite 55% of respondents to our survey rejecting weight loss injections as a short-term solution, our survey highlights a worrying attitude towards a medication that is designed as a long-term solution to obesity. Recommended reading: 'These prescription-only treatments, like Mounjaro, are designed for people living with obesity or weight-related health conditions and work best when used as part of a sustainable medically supervised plan, involving nutrition and physical activity. 'Changing your relationship with food from unhealthy to healthy takes time. If you abuse medications like Mounjaro for a short-term win, the likelihood is you'll put all the weight back on and become an unhealthy weight again very quickly after you stop taking the medication. 'Working with your prescriber and health care professionals to give yourself enough time to form healthy food habits is the best way to incorporate these injections into your sustainable weight loss journey.'
Leader Live
09-07-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Mounjaro sales banned from being advertised by watchdog
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the nine rulings against the ads – one featuring reality TV personality Gemma Collins – made it 'crystal clear' that all injectable forms of weight-loss medication were prescription-only and therefore banned from being advertised to the public. The ASA said the rulings established that the advertising of named weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy, Mounjaro, Ozempic and Saxenda was banned, as was the use of various claims such as 'obesity treatment jab' and 'weight loss pen'. In December, the ASA warned businesses and individuals who were targeting members of the public with ads for the medicines. We've banned ads from nine advertisers for illegally promoting weight-loss prescription-only medicines (POMs) to the public — breaching both the law and the ad rules. 🎥 Watch to find out what this means for advertisers. It said no-one operating in the industry could say they had not been warned that weight-loss prescription-only medicines 'must not be promoted to the public'. The ads banned this week include an Instagram post by Collins, posted on January 6, which promoted the weight-loss service Yazen. In a video, Collins stated: 'I'm starting this year two sizes down, thanks to Yazen's weight loss app and medication. It's really quick and easy to get started with Yazen, it has absolutely changed my life… I finally found something that actually I lose weight on.' She continued: 'Yes, there's, you know, reports and stuff. And I'm not telling anyone to go on this medication, but it is prescribed on the NHS.' Two complainants challenged whether the ad breached rules because it promoted prescription-only medication to the public. Yazen said the post had been intended to share information about their 'holistic, responsible approach to weight loss', and had not been intended to focus solely on medication. Following notification of the complaint, and in agreement with Collins, the post has been amended to remove any reference to prescription-only medications. Yazen said they would ensure that future posts were compliant with the advertising code. Great as always to talk about #mounjaro on the @BBCBreakfast sofa with @BenThompsonTV @sallynugent #weightloss #nhs #GP@rcgp @WilmslowHealth @TheBMA Collins said she took her responsibilities under the advertising code seriously and strove to comply with them. She accepted that her posts had promoted the Yazen weight-loss service and app, and said Yazen would approve any marketing materials she might post in future, and she would follow any guidance that the ASA provided. The ASA also banned an ad for prescription-only weight-loss medication posted by CheqUp, which read: 'No GP or pharmacy visit, just a 2-minute online consultation.' CheqUp told the ASA that they believed the ad had been created in line with what had become widespread industry practice in the weight-loss sector. They assured the ASA that the ad would not appear again. Great as always to talk about #mounjaro on the @BBCBreakfast sofa with @BenThompsonTV @sallynugent #weightloss #nhs #GP@rcgp @WilmslowHealth @TheBMA Other providers who have had their ads banned include Juniper UK, Cloud Pharmacy, and Phlo Clinic and SemaPen. In April, the ASA said a search in January found around 1,800 unique paid-for weight-loss ads which were identified as potentially advertising a prescription-only medicine. It has published a joint Enforcement Notice with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and General Pharmaceutical Council, making clear that ads for named weight-loss prescription-only medications are prohibited, including online, on social media and by influencers. This comes as obesity experts at Chemist4U found that despite Mounjaro and other weight loss medications being designed and prescribed as a long term solution for obesity, more than one in four (28.6%), equivalent to 15 million Brits (15,784,439), would consider using weight loss medications to slim down just for a special occasion. Jason Murphy, Head of Pharmacy at Chemist4U says: 'Despite 55% of respondents to our survey rejecting weight loss injections as a short-term solution, our survey highlights a worrying attitude towards a medication that is designed as a long-term solution to obesity. Recommended reading: 'These prescription-only treatments, like Mounjaro, are designed for people living with obesity or weight-related health conditions and work best when used as part of a sustainable medically supervised plan, involving nutrition and physical activity. 'Changing your relationship with food from unhealthy to healthy takes time. If you abuse medications like Mounjaro for a short-term win, the likelihood is you'll put all the weight back on and become an unhealthy weight again very quickly after you stop taking the medication. 'Working with your prescriber and health care professionals to give yourself enough time to form healthy food habits is the best way to incorporate these injections into your sustainable weight loss journey.'
