22 April 2024 - The weighty issue of Ozempic

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G’day Squizers. If you’re interested in news on health, you can’t avoid stories about Ozempic - the drug invented to help treat type-2 diabetes.

That happened 6 years ago, and the reason it’s in the news so much in recent times is that it’s also been found to help some people suffering from obesity to lose weight. In Australia, about 30% of the population is considered obese, and a bit more than that again are overweight. There is a lot of debate about the measurement of overweight/obesity, people carrying too many kilos are at higher risk for many chronic health conditions. 

That’s the huge public health problem Denmark’s Novo Nordisk is trying to tackle. It is behind the diabetes drug Ozempic and weight loss drug Wegovy - and that’s seen its share price soar by almost 500% over the last 5 years. Now valued at more than US$430 billion, the company is worth more than Denmark’s entire economy…  

These days, Ozempic and Wegovy are not the only new drugs on the market to help control blood sugar and suppress appetite. Another to note that’s approved for use by diabetics in Australia is Mounjaro, a similar drug made by American drug giant Eli Lilly. But for today’s News Club, we’re going to focus on Ozempic because it’s the OG. It’s also the one most Aussies who have accessed this type of drug for weight loss have probably got their hands on. 

So for this week’s Club Picks: 

1. This podcast on ABC Radio National’s Life Matters program includes an interview with podcaster Claire Murphy. She was on Ozempic for weight loss, so there’s that perspective, but it also helps explain what the drug is and how it’s available in Oz. 

2. The invention of these drugs has had - and will continue to have - economic impacts. This episode of The Economist’s Money Talks podcast goes through that and the industry that’s booming off the back of them. 

3. You can’t go far in this discussion without mentioning Oprah Winfrey… The US multi-media legend has had a decades-long struggle with her weight, and last year she revealed she’s had success with these drugs (while not naming what she’s been on…). She’s even made a show about it - it doesn’t look like it’s been released in Australia but a clip of what Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution is about is here. 

Whether you think drugs like Ozempic are a good way to lose weight or not, it looks like they are set to be a significant part of the health scene in the future. That also means they will be in the news, so we hope this week’s News Club helps to inform your opinions and conversations. 

See below our weekly poll, we’d love your input and a reminder that the News Club podcast is out tomorrow where we discuss what you told us and all of the above. 

Your friends in news
Kate Watson and Claire Kimball

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