Antidiabetes slimming drugs, Glp-1 receptor agonists, “have been in the news for the last 2 years” and many will have “heard about them. The ones most in short supply in the EU are Ozempic, Saxenda, Trulicity, Victoza and these medicines are everywhere, from online discussions on social media to public statements by celebrities, and they’re becoming part of popular culture, so we can’t ignore that there’s also an increase in off-label use by people who don’t have diabetes or obesity and who are seeing Glp agonists. -1 as a possible miracle drug for weight loss.” This off-label use “must stop.” This is the warning of Emer Cooke, executive director of the European Medicines Agency EMA.
“As a medicines regulator, we have a role to play in managing shortages and that is why we have provided recommendations at European level for all actors involved to ensure that we conserve these medicines for those who need them most,” he explained during a press briefing today.
“The persistently high demand” for GLP-1 receptor agonist anti-diabetes slimming drugs “has also attracted criminal activity, increasing the risk of falsified products entering the market with serious consequences for public health,” the EMA added.
Since 2022, there has been a surge in demand for drugs from this family. This boom in requests, together with other issues such as production capacity limits, have led to shortages across the EU (and beyond).
“The EMA and the network of EU regulatory bodies – we read in a note – are closely monitoring the situation and taking various actions from 2022”. The MSSG group’s recommendations mark “the next phase in the coordinated response to current shortfalls.”
