Ozempic coming soon to India: What is it? Benefits, side effects and controversies

India's drug controller, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), approved Ozempic (semaglutide) on 26 September for use in adults with type 2 diabetes. Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk will soon launch the once-a-week injection of the blockbuster diabetes drug in India.

Ozempic will be available only on a doctor's prescription, according to sources quoted by PTI.

The approval comes amid a sharp rise in diabetic patients in the country. The CDSCO said, “Semaglutide Injection (Ozempic@) is indicated for the treatment of adults with Insufficiently Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus as an adjunct to Diet and Exercise.”

Ozempic was first approved in the United States in 2017. Since then, it has been taken by millions of people, including celebrities, primarily as a weight loss drug. However, it is not approved in India for weight loss.

Novo Nordisk has not yet revealed the price of Ozempic in India. The company earlier received approval for Wegovy, a semaglutide-based drug, designed for obesity treatment.

Dr V Mohan, Chairman, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, told ANI, “They're not cheap, and therefore, they should be used where needed, so that those who need the drug will not otherwise go unattended in the US.”

What is Ozempic?

Ozempic is a brand name for semaglutide. It helps lower blood sugar by stimulating insulin production from the pancreas. It is a weekly injection.

Benefits of Ozempic

• Ozempic improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetes.
• It contributes to significant weight loss when taken in higher and prescribed doses, along with a controlled diet.
• It reduces the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in high-risk diabetes patients.

Ozempic side effects

The side effects of Ozempic may include:

• Frequent incidents of GI side effects and tolerability issues upon initiation
• Pancreatitis and gallbladder-related risks have been reported in certain datasets
• Changes in vision
• Hypoglycemia or reduced levels of blood sugar can be detrimental to diabetic patients.
• Diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration), which can cause kidney problems.

Controversies

Ozempic has been a huge hit in several countries, especially the US, as a drug for rapid weight loss. Developed initially to manage diabetes, Ozempic has also been used to treat heart conditions.

The immense popularity of Ozempic worldwide made Novo Nordisk one of the most valued companies in the US market.

However, experts have raised concerns about the potential risks these medications pose to patients.

These range from side effects like muscle loss to severe complications such as pancreatitis, as well as kidney and gallbladder issues.

Many people have also reported vision changes, erectile dysfunction and mood changes. However, medical practitioners are more worried about the severe effects of Ozempic.

Not just physical, Ozempic is causing societal impacts.

“The high costs of anti-obesity drugs and the need for lifelong use pose significant financial challenges, which could worsen health disparities,” said Robert Klitzman MD, a professor of psychiatry and director of Master of Science in Bioethics Program at Columbia University.

The high prices of the drugs could also mean that they could be restricted to just the wealthier class, resulting in a crumbling of societal equity.