Will Ozempic fall out of fashion?
Popularity of Novo Nordisk’s “Magical” weight loss drug, Ozempic, has spread much like the pandemic since its approval as an obesity treatment in 2021.
High-profile figures such as Kim Kardashian, Boris Johnson, and Elon Musk have reportedly used these drugs for their weight loss transformations. With half of the world’s population expected to be overweight by 2035, are these wonder drugs set to dominate the future, or have we overlooked some red flags along the way?
Red Flags:
An article from the university of British Columbia published last Thursday in the Journal of the American Medical Association warns about the risks of severe stomach complications arising from Ozempic use.
The study found that people taking Ozempic for weight loss had a 9 times greater pancreatitis risk, 4.2 times increased risk of bowel obstruction, and 3.7 times higher risk of gastroparesis.
The authors warn that, unlike in patients with diabetes, the risk-to-benefit ratio may side against using these medications for weight loss in some patients.
Will Novo Nordisk lose its crown in the future?
After doubling its market cap since mid-2020, Novo Nordisk’s value now exceeds Denmark’s entire GDP ($418bn vs $406bn).
However, despite the current demand for Ozempic pushing production to its limits, the industry (including Novo Nordisk) is actively exploring next-generation alternatives for the future.
Currently, administration by injection and the plateau of weight loss after the first-year present significant drawbacks to patients.
Body weight over 2 years using Ozempic (Semaglutide) Vs placebo
Patients must continue with injections once their weight loss has stopped to prevent weight regain, which is costly and unlikely to retain compliance.
Gene therapy: the emerging challenger
Biotechnology company Fractyl Health revealed their pancreatic GLP-1 gene therapy outperforms Ozempic by 40% for weight loss in mice.
The therapy uses an inactive adeno-associated virus to deliver a gene that stimulates GLP-1 expression in pancreatic cells, leading to insulin release. This would avoid the need to inject Ozempic (a GLP-1 agonist) every week.
Fractyl Chief Scientific Officer Timothy Kieffer, Ph.D., said their novel approach “has the potential to offer these benefits because it targets the pancreas, is designed to mimic human physiology, and may provide durable benefits that persist after the treatment itself.”
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The implications of this are immense for gene therapy and the prospects of diabetes and obesity. Patients could modify their GLP-1 expression to potentially cure obesity and Type 2 Diabetes for extended periods of time!
We now stand on the precipice of a new era. The burden of obesity costs $210 billion per year and rising, but we have the chance to reverse this.
I hope to have inspired you to investing a little (or a lot) more of your time or effort in science research that will change our future!
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