Fat jabs like Ozempic set to get official WHO seal of approval – backing use to treat obesity worldwide
FAT jabs like Ozempic are set to get the seal of approval from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This would back the use of slimming injections to help obese adults shed pounds for the first time.
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More than a billion people worldwide now live with obesity, according to the UN organisation.
In the UK alone, nearly two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, with the number of cases continuing to climb.
The WHO's jab recommendation for treating the condition will be unveiled in August, as part of new guidelines, according to a memo seen by Reuters today.
The guidelines will also feature separate advice for children and teens who suffer from obesity, the global news agency, added.
The widely popular drugs, sold under brand names such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus, are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
In the UK, Ozempic and Rybelsus are used on the NHS to treat type 2 diabetes, particularly when other treatments haven't worked.
For weight loss, the NHS offers drugs like Wegovy and Saxenda, but these are only available through specialist weight management services, and patients must be referred by their GP.
Privately, both Ozempic and Wegovy are available for weight loss, and many people access these treatments through private healthcare providers.
This is because they are not routinely offered for obesity on the NHS unless specific criteria are met.
GLP-1 drugs mimic hormones that make you feel full, squashing your appetite so you eat fewer calories and lose weight rapidly.
In clinical trials, people lost 15 per cent to 20 per cent of their body weight, depending on the drug.
They’ve also been shown to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
But experts have warned about serious side effects too, including stomach paralysis, pancreas inflammation, and even vision loss.
In February, The Sun revealed that 82 Brits have died after using weight-loss and diabetes jabs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro. The details of why they died were not shared.
Next week, WHO experts will also decide whether to add GLP-1 drugs to their essential medicines list for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The list helps ensure life-saving drugs are available in all health systems, particularly in poorer countries, as seen with HIV drugs in 2002.
In 2023, health chiefs rejected adding obesity drugs due to a lack of long-term evidence, but now the WHO supports including them following new recommendations.
The WHO is concerned about the cost of the drugs and wants more studies on their long-term value, especially in poorer countries.
It suggests using methods like tiered pricing or pooled buying to make them more accessible.
Weight loss jabs are a hot media topic at the moment, with hundreds of success stories from people who shed the pounds.
In March 2023, the NHS announced it would make Wegovy, a drug made by Danish firm Novo Nordisk, available on prescription to thousands of obese Brits.
It contains the drug semaglutide, which is said to have helped reality star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk lose weight.
Wegovy, which helped a third of people reduce their weight by 20 per cent in trials, is now available from pharmacies like Boots.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less and therefore lose weight.
To do this, semaglutide mimics the role of a natural hormone, called GLP-1.
GLP-1 is part of the signalling pathway that tells your body you have eaten, and prepares it to use the energy that comes from your food.
London GP and founder of wellgoodwellbeing.com, Dr Zoe Watson, said: “Your body naturally produces an appetite regulating hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1.
“These jabs work by regulating your appetite, which can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight.”
Aren’t they diabetes drugs?
Semaglutide, the active drug in Wegovy, was originally sold under the name Ozempic specifically for diabetes patients.
But people started noticing it helped suppress their appetites, stopping them eating as much and helping them shed the pounds.
Novo Nordisk then developed Wegovy, which contains the same chemical but at higher doses specifically to aid weight loss.
Wegovy is not prescribed for diabetes patients.
Can I get them?
Wegovy is offered on prescription to obese adults given specialist weight loss treatment.
The NHS currently also offers a similar drug called Saxenda, or liraglutide.
Both are only available throught specialist weight management services, which means you have to be referred to clinics led by experts.
GPs can’t prescribe them on their own, Dr Watson said.
The jabs have to be taken as part of an overall programme to help with lifestyle changes and psychological support to get the best effect from the medication prescribed.
Are there any risks?
Like all medicines, the jabs do not come without side effects.
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 patient.info, 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.
What other options are there?
Mounjaro (brand name for tirzepatide) also came onto the market in early 2024.
Like Wegovy, tirzepatide stems from a drug originally designed to treat diabetes.
The weekly injection helped overweight people drop more than two stone in 18 months.
It is available with to order with a prescription online from pharmacies including Superdrug and LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor.
It works in a similar way to Wegovy and Saxenda, but is more effective.
Dr Mitra Dutt from LloydsPharmacy says: “Based on clinical trials, 96 per cent of people were able to lose more than five per cent of their body fat using Mounjaro. In similar trials, 84 per cent of people lost more than five per cent of their body weight on Wegovy, and 60 per cent on Saxenda.
“Mounjaro works by activating two hormonal receptors (GIP and GLP-1), which enhance insulin production, improve insulin sensitivity, and work to decrease food intake."
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