Ozempic, the 'superstar' diabetes drug

In 2024, Ozempic gained global attention as a ground-breaking treatment not just for Type 2 diabetes but also weight management, leading to widespread demand and media coverage.

- Amrita Kaur

Originally developed by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk to manage blood sugar levels, Ozempic's active ingredient, semaglutide, was found to cause significant weight loss. This led to its adoption as a popular off-label treatment for obesity.

Semaglutide mimics a natural hormone made in the small intestine called glucagon-like peptide-1.

Besides regulating blood sugar levels, semaglutide works in the brain to create a feeling of fullness, helping users eat less by curbing their appetite.

This double benefit led to Ozempic being hailed as a game-changer and fueled a surge in its popularity, which has been driven by endorsements from celebrities and social media influencers, as well as online weight-loss success stories.

Tech mogul Elon Musk, media personality Sharon Osbourne and influencer and plus-size model Remi Bader have stated publicly that they have used Ozempic.

In Singapore, it was approved in 2021 by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to treat "adults with insufficiently controlled Type 2 diabetes mellitus, as an adjunct to diet and exercise", says a spokesperson for the authority.

"Any prescription and use of the medicine outside of the approved indication is considered as 'off-label use' and will depend on the professional judgment of the medical practitioners when managing their patients to ensure that it is in the patients' best interests," says the HSA spokesperson.