The pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk manufactures two drugs with the same active substance – one for people with overweight, Wegovy, and one for people with type 2 diabetes, Ozempic. Both drugs are considered the most effective on the market.
In the United States, the drug Wegovy became so popular last year that it ran out, which led doctors to start prescribing Ozempic so that it also became a scarce commodity.
"It's a global market and what's happening in the US affects the fact that we have had a shortage of medicines in Sweden," says Björn Lundahl, information physician in Region Sörmland.
Used by people who want to lose weight
To get the slimming drug Wegovy prescribed by a doctor, you must have a BMI of at least 30. But also people with a BMI of 27, who also suffer from some other complicated disease such as high blood fats, are entitled to the medication.
"But we know that it is also used there. We have seen that in social media and all kinds of contexts, people share figures on how they have lost weight and recommend the medication to friends who often do not have the medical reason to take it," says Björn Lundahl.
Incorrect benefit
So far, Wegovy is not available in Sweden and the healthcare system has seen that doctors have prescribed Ozempic to patients with overweight here as well, despite the fact that there is a similar slimming preparation, Saxenda.
"There are two reasons for this. One is that there is a greater weight loss if you take Ozempic. Unfortunately, some people get this drug in a pharmaceutical benefit and thus at a significantly lower price, which you don't get with Saxenda," says Björn Lundahl.
Now the Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency, TLV, wants to clarify the information for Ozempic. This makes it more obvious to doctors and pharmacists that the high-cost protection should only apply to patients with type 2 diabetes.
Listen to Björn Lundahl talk about how Ozempic works on weight loss in the clip above.