WEBVTT - Summer series: The young Aussies using Ozempic

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome back to our special summer series. I hope you're

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<v Speaker 1>having an amazing break and taking some time out to

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<v Speaker 1>rest and recover from a huge year. This week, we

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to bring you some of our favorite episodes from

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty five, the ones we loved putting together for you,

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<v Speaker 1>or the ones you told us meant something to you.

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<v Speaker 1>We are kicking things off with part one of our

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<v Speaker 1>three part series investigating ozen Pic. This episode contains distressing themes,

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<v Speaker 1>including suicide and disordered eating. For twenty four to seven support,

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<v Speaker 1>please contact Lifeline on thirteen eleven fourteen. You'll find some

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<v Speaker 1>links to more resources in today's episode description.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome to the eighty second Golden Gloves, Ozempich's Biggest night.

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<v Speaker 1>We think of this o Zembic takeover in Hollywood. Excuse me,

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<v Speaker 1>Jennie's No, it's Azempic. From viral weight loss drug to

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<v Speaker 1>Hollywood punchline. What percent shouldn't be the only one? Ones

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<v Speaker 1>whose body fat is one possess?

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<v Speaker 3>When I look around this throom, I can't help but

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<v Speaker 3>wonder is Ozembic right for me?

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<v Speaker 1>Before Ozepic took social media by storm, it was touted

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<v Speaker 1>as the miracle drug that could end type two diabetes.

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<v Speaker 1>Medications are changing the way that we think about diabetes

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<v Speaker 1>and weight management, but also cardiovascular risk management. Once lauded

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<v Speaker 1>as the silver bullet to the stars, ozempic and other

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<v Speaker 1>similar medications have slowly but surely crossed into the mainstream,

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<v Speaker 1>bringing with them new conversations about body image, ethics, health

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<v Speaker 1>and accessibility.

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<v Speaker 4>There is so much demand, you know, there is demand

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<v Speaker 4>for this that outstrips anything we've ever seen.

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<v Speaker 1>But what does the exploding global popularity of azempic mean

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<v Speaker 1>for young people?

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<v Speaker 3>The entire body neutrality movement has almost had this regression

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<v Speaker 3>where it's like, I don't know, we're actually back to

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<v Speaker 3>those sizes that we're trying to get away from, and

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<v Speaker 3>here's a drug that's going to fix everything.

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<v Speaker 1>Over the next three episodes, we'll explore the new world

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<v Speaker 1>of weight loss medication, its long term implications, the medical

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<v Speaker 1>and social ramifications of its growing popularity, and how it's

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<v Speaker 1>being prescribed and used in Australia today.

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<v Speaker 5>Medicine and marketing should not be disconnected.

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<v Speaker 6>In this way, we'll.

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<v Speaker 1>Speak to experts, advocates, and the people whose lives have

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<v Speaker 1>been changed by ozepic, for better or for worse. From

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<v Speaker 1>the Daily Os. I'm Emma Gillespie and this is investigating

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<v Speaker 1>Ozenpic part one. Ozepic was first approved by health authorities

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<v Speaker 1>in the US in twenty seventeen as a medication to

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<v Speaker 1>treat type two diabetes, approved for use in Australia the

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<v Speaker 1>following year. The drug now generates billions of dollars annually

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<v Speaker 1>for its manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, which has become one of

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<v Speaker 1>the world's richest pharmaceutical companies. But what is ozeenpic and

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<v Speaker 1>how does it actually work?

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<v Speaker 4>So, Azempic's a drug name, and it's a drug name

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<v Speaker 4>for what is otherwise known as semaglue tide. Semi glue

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<v Speaker 4>tide falls into this family of drugs called glp ones.

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<v Speaker 1>That's doctor Michael Bonning. He is the Australian Medical Association

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<v Speaker 1>Chair of Public Health and a Sydney GP.

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<v Speaker 4>Ozempic is the one that has been talked about so

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<v Speaker 4>much in the media, but actually there are two others

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<v Speaker 4>that get a lot of coverage as well. One is

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<v Speaker 4>called Weigovi, which is just a higher dose version of ozempic,

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<v Speaker 4>and another one that is called Munjaro. They act on

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<v Speaker 4>hormones in our body and generally they were developed for

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<v Speaker 4>diabetes patients. What they did for them was making sure

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<v Speaker 4>that the cells work better with insulin, but also then

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<v Speaker 4>that gastric emptying is slowed down so you feel fuller faster.

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<v Speaker 4>You ended up with people losing significant amounts of weight,

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<v Speaker 4>which for many people with diabetes is also a significant

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<v Speaker 4>benefit to improving their diabetic control. But for those who

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<v Speaker 4>don't have diabetes, that side effect has meant that these

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<v Speaker 4>drugs have become increasingly popular for an indication that they

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<v Speaker 4>weren't originally put on the market for.

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<v Speaker 7>With those Zeenpig's popularity for dramatic weight loss, it's been

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<v Speaker 7>hard to get, but a new similar drug has the

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<v Speaker 7>same active ingredient as ozepig.

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<v Speaker 2>WHEREGOV helped people lose on average fifteen percent of their

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<v Speaker 2>body weight. That's compared with the nearly twenty three percent

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<v Speaker 2>achieved by Manjaro. The battle of the weight loss drugs continues.

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<v Speaker 1>Taken as an injection usually once a week, doctor Bonning

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<v Speaker 1>says ozeenpic and other GLP one medications start working almost immediately,

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<v Speaker 1>within a few hours. For twenty six year old Grace,

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<v Speaker 1>the overall experience of weight loss medication gave her a

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<v Speaker 1>confidence that she had never felt before. Grace wrote to

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<v Speaker 1>us from Brisbane to tell us about her experience. Here's

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<v Speaker 1>a bit of her story, voiced by someone else.

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<v Speaker 4>My entire life.

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<v Speaker 7>I have been slightly overweight since becoming an adult, working

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<v Speaker 7>an office job, no longer doing sports, the weight started

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<v Speaker 7>to climb slightly. It wasn't until I moved away from

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<v Speaker 7>home and experienced a really rough time that I ended

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<v Speaker 7>up putting on significant weight in a short period. This

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<v Speaker 7>was the start of a number of health problems for me.

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<v Speaker 7>I had kidney stones, I had gallstones. I was generally

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<v Speaker 7>unhappy and lacking a lot of self love.

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<v Speaker 1>Grace has used both Ozenpic and Munjaro at different times

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<v Speaker 1>since June twenty twenty three.

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<v Speaker 7>Munjaro was significantly more expensive, but it gave me almost

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<v Speaker 7>no side effects. Because of that, I was able to

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<v Speaker 7>consistently stay on the medication for about six months.

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<v Speaker 1>She lost over seventeen kilos during that time, and since then,

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<v Speaker 1>Grace says her life has changed. Her confidence has transformed.

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<v Speaker 1>Pain she used to feel daily has disappeared.

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<v Speaker 7>I'm not embarrassed to walk up the stairs with someone.

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<v Speaker 7>I feel confident that I could physically get myself out

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<v Speaker 7>of danger if I had to. The mobility is insane.

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<v Speaker 7>The change of perspective is enormous.

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<v Speaker 1>Grace said she feels in control of her food choices

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<v Speaker 1>for the first time in her life. She details experiencing

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<v Speaker 1>a shift in how she thinks about food, what Grace

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<v Speaker 1>describes as previous compulsions and food noise all day, every day.

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<v Speaker 1>She told us, it's a difficult thing to explain to

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<v Speaker 1>someone who's never experienced issues with food noise, but Grace

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<v Speaker 1>likens it to listening to a loud song on repeat

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<v Speaker 1>and you've got no ability to change the song, or

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<v Speaker 1>turn down the volume or take a break. For her,

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<v Speaker 1>both glp won medications, Ozebic and Munjaro were like finally

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<v Speaker 1>someone had given her a remote to listen to something else.

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<v Speaker 7>It was so healing to know that I wasn't just

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<v Speaker 7>worse than skinny people, or I wasn't just weak. My

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<v Speaker 7>brain wasn't working against me anymore.

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<v Speaker 1>Grace's story is just one of the hundreds of positive

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<v Speaker 1>anecdotes we received when we asked our audience about their

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<v Speaker 1>experiences using Ozepic and similar medications. Dozens of TDA followers

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<v Speaker 1>told us that these drugs have changed their life that

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<v Speaker 1>they've never been happier or healthier. Some of you told

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<v Speaker 1>us it's saved your life. We could go on for

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<v Speaker 1>hours talking through all the many glowing reviews we received

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<v Speaker 1>about ozepic, Munjaro, and wegovi. But while so many of

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<v Speaker 1>you did have a positive experience with these medications, hundreds

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<v Speaker 1>of you also told us the exact opposite. Several TDA

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<v Speaker 1>followers told us they've ended up in hospital after taking ozenpic,

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<v Speaker 1>with gallbladder removal being the most commonly reported issue.

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<v Speaker 4>As with most drugs, most side effects are dose dependent.

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<v Speaker 4>They often are worse at higher doses.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll be back with more of today's episode right after this. Ultimately,

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<v Speaker 1>GLP one medications like ozepic are still relatively new, and

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<v Speaker 1>that means the full list of side effects associated with

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<v Speaker 1>their long term use remains somewhat unknown. GPS and healthcare

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<v Speaker 1>providers can report adverse side effects relating to these medications

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<v Speaker 1>to the federal government's Department of Health. These reports are

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<v Speaker 1>tracked on the Therapeutic Goods Administration's Database of Adverse Event Notifications.

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<v Speaker 1>The online tracker includes negative symptoms associated with the use

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<v Speaker 1>of any medication but you can filter down by type.

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<v Speaker 1>So that's what we did to look at ozenpic. We

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<v Speaker 1>go v and compounded products or pharmacy made versions of

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<v Speaker 1>these drugs, as well as semaglue tide products where the

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<v Speaker 1>brand name was not specified. Remembering that semigluetides a type

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<v Speaker 1>of GLP one. Golp ones are these weight loss medications

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<v Speaker 1>that we are talking about. On the database, gastro Intestinal disorders,

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<v Speaker 1>including pancreatitis made up around half of the adverse events

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<v Speaker 1>reported between January twenty twenty three and January twenty twenty five.

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<v Speaker 1>But there's another particularly sinister side effect associated with ozepic

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<v Speaker 1>use that's becoming increasingly prominent. I, for no reason whatsoever,

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<v Speaker 1>and I hadn't felt like this for a very long time,

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<v Speaker 1>became suicidal, unable to work.

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<v Speaker 6>It was really quite unexplained.

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<v Speaker 1>Mackenzie is a twenty six year old woman who sought

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<v Speaker 1>out a zenpic for weight management.

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<v Speaker 6>I've tried diet exercise and haven't been able to get

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<v Speaker 6>that to work for the long term.

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<v Speaker 1>But taking ozempic would lead her down one of the

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<v Speaker 1>most frightening periods of her life.

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<v Speaker 6>I was really really concerned, and I chatted with my

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<v Speaker 6>partner about it, and he was like, well, the only

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<v Speaker 6>thing that has changed in your life is you going

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<v Speaker 6>on this particular medication.

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<v Speaker 1>Suicidal ideation makes up one in every twenty adverse GLP

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<v Speaker 1>one reactions reported to the TGA database. Since January twenty

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<v Speaker 1>twenty three, there have been three reports of attempted suicide

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<v Speaker 1>and separately, two deaths by suicide associated with the use

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<v Speaker 1>of these medications. Ozenpic was the only product suspected to

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<v Speaker 1>be related to both of those deaths. The TGA website

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<v Speaker 1>stresses that the reports included in the database doesn't mean

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<v Speaker 1>the details of the event have been confirmed or that

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<v Speaker 1>the event has been determined to be related to that

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<v Speaker 1>specific medication that it's listed alongside. The TGA says it

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<v Speaker 1>uses adverse event reports to quote identify when a safety

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<v Speaker 1>issue may be present, but it says assessing the safety

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<v Speaker 1>of a medication cannot be made using the tracker alone.

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<v Speaker 6>Saw Juniper advertised and decided to go through the questionnaire

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<v Speaker 6>that they've got online, put in all accurate information and

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<v Speaker 6>it gave me a prescription for Ozenpic.

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<v Speaker 1>Juniper is one of a growing number of online platforms

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<v Speaker 1>that privately prescribed weight loss medications without requiring face to

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<v Speaker 1>face consults. It's a virtual or telehealth service, and while

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<v Speaker 1>individual practitioners must comply with compulsory standards, there is no

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<v Speaker 1>current mandatory safety and quality standards framework for these platforms.

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<v Speaker 1>Mackenzie disclosed to Juniper that she'd been taking antidepressants since

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<v Speaker 1>her early teens before she received a prescription for ozeenpic.

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<v Speaker 6>So I started receiving that in the mail and injecting

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<v Speaker 6>that as per kind of the recommended guidelines, I kind

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<v Speaker 6>of had peace of mind that it would cover everything

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<v Speaker 6>that was in my medical history.

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<v Speaker 1>Mackenzie started on what she said was quite a low

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<v Speaker 1>dose of ozmpic, but a month later she ramped up

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<v Speaker 1>to a higher dose, and that's when she says things

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<v Speaker 1>started feeling off, essentially out of nowhere. She describes experiencing

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<v Speaker 1>suicidal ideations. Mackenzie shared her concerns with her regular GP,

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<v Speaker 1>but that GP is not the person who prescribed her

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<v Speaker 1>this medication. She got the drugs through Juniper.

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<v Speaker 6>He said that he'd seen this in a number of patients.

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<v Speaker 6>He explained to me how it kind of worked, and

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<v Speaker 6>one of the things is that it slows the digestive system,

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<v Speaker 6>which then can have negative effects on absorption.

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<v Speaker 1>The medication Mackenzie was taking had stopped her body from

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<v Speaker 1>absorbing the antidepressants that she'd been used to taking for

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<v Speaker 1>more than a decade.

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<v Speaker 6>I was in such a bad place that he suggested

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<v Speaker 6>I go to hospital, stopped taking it, and contact Juniper

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<v Speaker 6>to let them know that I was no longer taking

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<v Speaker 6>it and explain what the side effects of that had

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<v Speaker 6>been for me.

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<v Speaker 1>Mackenzie followed the advice of her regular GP and stopped

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<v Speaker 1>taking Ozeenbic immediately, but due to the slow release nature

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<v Speaker 1>of the drug, it took over a month for her

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<v Speaker 1>to start feeling like herself again. The twenty six year

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<v Speaker 1>old said she was surrounded by the right people and

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<v Speaker 1>the right support to get herself back to feeling safe

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<v Speaker 1>and happy. She considers herself one of the lucky ones,

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<v Speaker 1>but Mackenzie holds broader concerns about what these prescribing practices

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<v Speaker 1>could mean that at risk young people.

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<v Speaker 6>The fact that this is so freely available without even

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<v Speaker 6>so much as a zoom call or a face to

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<v Speaker 6>face check in is really really concerning to me, and

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<v Speaker 6>I think something needs to be done regarding the access

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<v Speaker 6>people have to this medication. I'm not saying that we

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<v Speaker 6>should never use it and that it should be totally

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<v Speaker 6>out of the question, but I think some kind of

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<v Speaker 6>regulation needs to be put in place.

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<v Speaker 1>So how are these medications regulated and how many people

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<v Speaker 1>are taking them in Australia. The short answer to the

0:13:38.960 --> 0:13:43.120
<v Speaker 1>second part of that question is really, we have no idea,

0:13:43.920 --> 0:13:46.240
<v Speaker 1>and that's because of the way that these drugs are

0:13:46.240 --> 0:13:50.480
<v Speaker 1>classified by health regulators and something called the Pharmaceutical Benefit

0:13:50.559 --> 0:13:52.120
<v Speaker 1>Scheme the PBS.

0:13:52.400 --> 0:13:55.960
<v Speaker 4>O Zembic is funded by the Australian government, so on

0:13:56.080 --> 0:14:00.640
<v Speaker 4>the PBS for those people who meet certain parameters around

0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:04.600
<v Speaker 4>their type two diabetes, so those people need to be

0:14:04.760 --> 0:14:06.920
<v Speaker 4>the ones who are prioritized to get access to it.

0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:10.640
<v Speaker 1>Let's break that down. Ozepic is a PBS listed drug

0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:14.360
<v Speaker 1>for type two diabetes treatment, so because of that, it'll

0:14:14.400 --> 0:14:17.600
<v Speaker 1>cost a diabetic around forty dollars a month to access.

0:14:18.040 --> 0:14:20.960
<v Speaker 1>That doesn't mean it's illegal to use ozepic for other reasons,

0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:24.280
<v Speaker 1>but it does mean prescriptions issued for a purpose other

0:14:24.320 --> 0:14:28.720
<v Speaker 1>than diabetes, what's called off label uses, aren't subsidized by

0:14:28.760 --> 0:14:33.240
<v Speaker 1>the PBS and therefore aren't tracked by it either. These

0:14:33.280 --> 0:14:36.920
<v Speaker 1>private scripts also cost patients upwards of four hundred dollars

0:14:37.040 --> 0:14:37.640
<v Speaker 1>a month.

0:14:37.720 --> 0:14:42.200
<v Speaker 4>The other two medications are not on the PBS for

0:14:42.480 --> 0:14:43.120
<v Speaker 4>that indication.

0:14:43.320 --> 0:14:47.160
<v Speaker 1>Doctor Michael Bonning is talking about Munjaro and wegovy, but

0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:50.240
<v Speaker 1>we Govy could soon become cheaper for some people who

0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:53.440
<v Speaker 1>take it after the TGA recently approved this drug as

0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:57.520
<v Speaker 1>a treatment for heart disease in overweight patients. This means

0:14:57.520 --> 0:15:00.880
<v Speaker 1>the medicine regulator has determined there is SATIS factory evidence

0:15:00.920 --> 0:15:04.000
<v Speaker 1>that we go v is an effective complementary therapy for

0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:08.360
<v Speaker 1>adults with both cardiovascular disease and high body mass index

0:15:08.600 --> 0:15:12.160
<v Speaker 1>to reduce the related risk of heart attack, stroke or death.

0:15:12.640 --> 0:15:15.240
<v Speaker 1>We can find out how many people take ozenpic for

0:15:15.280 --> 0:15:17.960
<v Speaker 1>type two diabetes treatment, and we might soon be able

0:15:17.960 --> 0:15:20.280
<v Speaker 1>to find out how many people take we go vias

0:15:20.320 --> 0:15:24.000
<v Speaker 1>a treatment for heart disease. But for everything else, it's

0:15:24.080 --> 0:15:27.840
<v Speaker 1>virtually impossible to determine the scale of the use of

0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:32.920
<v Speaker 1>these medications. Doctor Emma Beckett, a food and nutrition scientist

0:15:32.960 --> 0:15:36.360
<v Speaker 1>and an adjunct senior lecturer at UNSW, says this is

0:15:36.480 --> 0:15:38.720
<v Speaker 1>an issue that needs to shift urgently.

0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:43.720
<v Speaker 5>My suspicion is the vast number of people accessing these

0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:49.480
<v Speaker 5>medications in Australia are accessing them through telehealth and not

0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:53.680
<v Speaker 5>through their standard GP. And for me, the question is

0:15:53.720 --> 0:15:56.240
<v Speaker 5>why are they going to their standard GP, and their

0:15:56.280 --> 0:15:58.840
<v Speaker 5>standard GP is going no, no, you don't need that.

0:15:59.400 --> 0:16:01.000
<v Speaker 5>And you go to the people who are selling them

0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:03.560
<v Speaker 5>directly and that's their purpose and they go, well, of

0:16:03.560 --> 0:16:07.400
<v Speaker 5>course you can have that. And so my question is

0:16:07.440 --> 0:16:10.080
<v Speaker 5>about how do we look at that context because I

0:16:10.120 --> 0:16:11.240
<v Speaker 5>don't think we have that data.

0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:16.480
<v Speaker 1>So without that database of prescriptions, we decided to look

0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:19.200
<v Speaker 1>into this further to get a sense of how young

0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:24.160
<v Speaker 1>people are engaging with these medications. Around twenty five thousand

0:16:24.200 --> 0:16:26.800
<v Speaker 1>of you responded to a poll by The Daily Os.

0:16:27.440 --> 0:16:30.640
<v Speaker 1>Eleven percent told us they had used ozenpic or a

0:16:30.720 --> 0:16:34.000
<v Speaker 1>similar drug. We asked the eighty nine percent who hadn't

0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:37.760
<v Speaker 1>used it if they've ever wanted to try ozenpic. Forty

0:16:37.840 --> 0:16:43.479
<v Speaker 1>three percent of respondents said yes. We heard from nurses, surgeons,

0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:47.400
<v Speaker 1>GP and other health professionals who said GLP one medications

0:16:47.560 --> 0:16:51.640
<v Speaker 1>licozenpic are among the most prescribed drugs in the country,

0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:55.320
<v Speaker 1>but it's how people are accessing these drugs, or rather

0:16:55.680 --> 0:16:59.920
<v Speaker 1>where they're getting their prescriptions that has some experts concerned.

0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:04.760
<v Speaker 5>If you Google interested in these drugs. The top hits

0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:09.080
<v Speaker 5>are not results to studies, they're not informational pieces. They're

0:17:09.119 --> 0:17:13.600
<v Speaker 5>links to the companies who are selling it, and medicine

0:17:14.200 --> 0:17:19.880
<v Speaker 5>and marketing should not be disconnected in this way, because

0:17:20.080 --> 0:17:25.000
<v Speaker 5>I can't think of any other medication that happens like this.

0:17:29.359 --> 0:17:34.359
<v Speaker 1>On the next episode of Investigating Ozenpic, we take a

0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:37.960
<v Speaker 1>closer look at the online providers prescribing weight loss medication

0:17:38.119 --> 0:17:41.439
<v Speaker 1>in Australia. We'll look into their duty of care and

0:17:41.480 --> 0:17:45.560
<v Speaker 1>whether or not they're meeting those responsibilities. We'll hear from

0:17:45.680 --> 0:17:49.440
<v Speaker 1>the people who've accessed these drugs through these providers and

0:17:49.800 --> 0:17:51.200
<v Speaker 1>those who've worked for them.

0:17:51.560 --> 0:17:54.880
<v Speaker 5>If these people started these companies to deliberately sell these

0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:58.680
<v Speaker 5>weight loss drugs. There's a gap that says when people

0:17:58.720 --> 0:18:01.000
<v Speaker 5>are going to the doctor and how this conversation with

0:18:01.080 --> 0:18:04.760
<v Speaker 5>their regular GP they're not getting what they need.

0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:08.639
<v Speaker 1>We'll answer all your questions and more on part two.

0:18:09.680 --> 0:18:13.479
<v Speaker 1>Thank you so much for listening to this episode. If

0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:17.119
<v Speaker 1>it's raised any concerns for you, help is available twenty

0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:20.879
<v Speaker 1>four to seven through Lifeline on thirteen eleven fourteen. For

0:18:20.960 --> 0:18:24.200
<v Speaker 1>eating disorder support, you can contact the Butterfly Foundation on

0:18:24.200 --> 0:18:27.480
<v Speaker 1>one eight hundred eighty hope. That's one eight hundred three

0:18:27.600 --> 0:18:31.639
<v Speaker 1>three four six seven three. There are also some links

0:18:31.640 --> 0:18:34.320
<v Speaker 1>to resources in today's episode description.

0:18:39.280 --> 0:18:41.600
<v Speaker 7>My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda

0:18:41.840 --> 0:18:46.639
<v Speaker 7>Bungelung Cargottin woman from Gadighl country. The Daily oz acknowledges

0:18:46.720 --> 0:18:48.879
<v Speaker 7>that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the

0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:52.440
<v Speaker 7>Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres

0:18:52.480 --> 0:18:55.359
<v Speaker 7>Strait Island and nations. We pay our respects to the

0:18:55.400 --> 0:18:58.159
<v Speaker 7>first peoples of these countries, both past and present,