1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: This episode contains distressing themes, including suicide and disordered eating. 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 1: For twenty four to seven support, please contact Lifeline on 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:12,040 Speaker 1: thirteen eleven fourteen. You'll find some links to more resources 4 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: in today's episode description. 5 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 2: Welcome to the eighty second Golden Gloves, Ozempik's biggest night. 6 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: Shall we think of this ozembic takeover in Hollywood? 7 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 3: Excuse me, Jennie, No, he's of ozembic. 8 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: From viral weight loss drug to Hollywood punchline. 9 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 4: What percent? 10 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: Shouldn't be the only ones whose body fat is one percent? 11 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 5: When I look. 12 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 6: Around the room, I can't help but wonder is ozembic 13 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 6: right for me? 14 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: Before ozempic took social media by storm, it was touted 15 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: as the miracle drug that could end type two diabetes. 16 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: Medications are changing the way that you think about diabetes 17 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: and weight management, but also cardiovascular risk management. Once lauded 18 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: as the silver bullet to the stars, Ozempic and other 19 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: similar medications slowly but surely crossed into the mainstream, bringing 20 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: with them new conversations about body image, ethics, health and accessibility. 21 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 7: There is so much demand. There is demand for this 22 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 7: that outstrips anything we ever say. 23 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: But what does the exploding global popularity of azenpic mean 24 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: for young. 25 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 6: People, the entire body neutrality movement has almost had this 26 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 6: regression where it's like, I don't know, we're actually back 27 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 6: to those sizes that we're trying to get away from, 28 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 6: and here's a drug that's going to fix everything. 29 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: Over the next three episodes, we'll explore the new world 30 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: of weight loss medication, its long term implications, the medical 31 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: and social ramifications of its growing popularity, and how it's 32 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: being prescribed and used in Australia Today. 33 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 4: Medicine and marketing should not be disconnected. 34 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 5: In this way, We'll. 35 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: Speak to experts, advocates and the people whose lives have 36 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: been changed by ozempic, for better or for worse. 37 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 3: From the daily os. 38 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: I'm Emma Gillespie and this is investigating Ozempic Part one. 39 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: Ozempic was first approved by health authorities in the US 40 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: in twenty seventeen as a medication to treat type two diabetes, 41 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: approved for use in Australia the following year. The drug 42 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: now generates billions of dollars annually for its manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, 43 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: which has become one of the world's richest pharmaceutical companies. 44 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: But what is ozempic and how does it actually work. 45 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 7: So, Zempic's a drug name, and it's a drug name 46 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 7: for what is otherwise known as semaglue tide. Semaglue tide 47 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 7: falls into this family of drugs called glp ones. 48 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 3: That's doctor Michael Bonding. 49 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: He is the Australian Medical Association Chair of Public Health 50 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:58,239 Speaker 1: and Sydney GP. 51 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 7: Ozempic is the one that has been talked about so 52 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 7: much in the media, but actually there are two others 53 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 7: that get a lot of coverage as well. One is 54 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 7: called weigov which is just a higher dose version of ozempic, 55 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 7: and another one that is called Munjaro. They act on 56 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 7: hormones in our body and generally they were developed for 57 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 7: diabetes patients. What they did for them was making sure 58 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 7: that the cells work better with insulin, but also then 59 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:30,639 Speaker 7: that gastric emptying is slowed down so you feel fuller faster. 60 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 7: You ended up with people losing significant amounts of weight, 61 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 7: which for many people with diabetes is also a significant 62 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 7: benefit to improving their diabetic control. But for those who 63 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 7: don't have diabetes, that side effect has meant that these 64 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 7: drugs have become increasingly popular for an indication that they 65 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 7: weren't originally put on the market for. 66 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 8: With those Zampig's popularity for dramatic weight loss, it's been 67 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 8: hard to get. But a new similar drug has the 68 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 8: same active ingredient as ozempig. 69 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 2: Wheregovi helped people lose on average fifteen percent of their 70 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 2: body weight, that's compared with the nearly twenty three percent 71 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 2: achieved by Maunjaro. The battle of the weight loss drugs continues. 72 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: Taken as an injection, usually once a week, doctor Bonning says, 73 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: ozempic and other GLP one medications start working almost immediately, 74 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 1: within a few hours. For twenty six year old Grace, 75 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: the overall experience of weight loss medication gave her a 76 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: confidence that she had never felt before. Grace wrote to 77 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,559 Speaker 1: us from Brisbane to tell us about her experience. Here's 78 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: a bit of her story, voiced by someone else. 79 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:46,280 Speaker 8: My entire life, I have been slightly overweight since becoming 80 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 8: an adult, working an office job, no longer doing sports, 81 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 8: the weight started to climb slightly. It wasn't until I 82 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 8: moved away from home and experienced a really rough time 83 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 8: that I ended up putting on significant weight in a 84 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 8: short period. This was the start of a number of 85 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 8: health problems for me. I had kidney stones, I had gallstones. 86 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 8: I was generally unhappy and lacking a lot of self love. 87 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: Grace has used both ozenpic and Munjaro at different times 88 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: since June twenty twenty three. 89 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 8: Munjaro was significantly more expensive, but it gave me almost 90 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 8: no side effects. Because of that, I was able to 91 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 8: consistently stay on the medication for about six months. 92 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: She lost over seventeen kilos during that time, and since then, 93 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 1: Grace says her life has changed. Her confidence has transformed. 94 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 1: The joined pain she used to feel daily has disappeared. 95 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 8: I'm not embarrassed to walk up the stairs with someone. 96 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 8: I feel confident that I could physically get myself out 97 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 8: of danger if I had to. The mobility is insane. 98 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 8: The change of perspective is enormous. 99 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: Grace said she feels in control of her food choices 100 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: for the first time in her life. She details experiencing 101 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 1: a shift in how she thinks about food, what Grace 102 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 1: describes as previous compulsions and food noise all day, every day. 103 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: She told us it's a difficult thing to explain to 104 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:09,919 Speaker 1: someone who's never experienced issues with food noise, but Grace 105 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 1: likens it to listening to a loud song on repeat, 106 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: and you've got no ability to change the song, or 107 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: turn down the volume or take a break. For her, 108 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: both glp won medications, Ozempic and Munjaro. 109 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 3: Were like finally someone. 110 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 1: Had given her a remote to listen to something else. 111 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,479 Speaker 8: It was so healing to know that I wasn't just 112 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:35,919 Speaker 8: worse than skinny people, or I wasn't just weak. My 113 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 8: brain wasn't working against me anymore. 114 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 1: Grace's story is just one of the hundreds of positive 115 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 1: anecdotes we received when we asked our audience about their 116 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: experiences using Ozenpic and similar medications. Dozens of TDA followers 117 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 1: told us that these drugs have changed their life, that 118 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: they've never been happier or healthier. Some of you told 119 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: us it's saved your life. We could go on for 120 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: hours talking through all the many glowing reviews we received 121 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 1: about Ozeenpic, Munjaro, and we go v. 122 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 3: But while so many of you. 123 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: Did have a positive experience with these medications, hundreds of 124 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: you also told us the exact opposite. Several TDA followers 125 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: told us they've ended up in hospital after taking ozenpic, 126 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: with gallbladder removal being the most commonly reported issue. 127 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 7: As with most drugs, most side effects are dose dependent. 128 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 7: They often are worse at higher doses. 129 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 1: We'll be back with more of today's episode right after this. Ultimately, 130 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: GLP one medications like ozeenpic are still relatively new, and 131 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: that means the full list of side effects associated with 132 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: their long term use remains somewhat unknown. GPS and healthcare 133 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: providers can report adverse side effects relating to these medications 134 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: to the federal government's Department of Health. These reports are 135 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:11,320 Speaker 1: tracked on the Therapeutic Goods Administration's Database of Adverse Event Notifications. 136 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: The online tracker includes negative symptoms associated with the use 137 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 1: of any medication, but you can filter down by type. 138 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 3: So that's what we did. To look at ozepic. 139 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: Wegov and compounded products or pharmacy made versions of these drugs, 140 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 1: as well as semagluetide products where the brand name was 141 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 1: not specified. Remembering that semaglutides are a type of GLP one. 142 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: GLP ones are these weight loss medications that we are 143 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: talking about. On the database, gastro Intestinal disorders, including pancreatitis, 144 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: made up around half of the adverse events reported between 145 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,559 Speaker 1: January twenty twenty three and January twenty twenty five. But 146 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: there's another particularly sinister side effect associated with ozempic use 147 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 1: that's becoming increasingly prominent. I, for no reason whatsoever, and 148 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:04,199 Speaker 1: I hadn't felt like this for a very long time, 149 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: became suicidal unable to work. 150 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 5: It was really quite unexplained. 151 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 1: Mackenzie is a twenty six year old woman who sought 152 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: out a zenpic for weight management. 153 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 5: I've tried diet exercise and haven't been able to get 154 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 5: that to work for the long term. 155 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:21,080 Speaker 1: But taking ozepic would lead her down one of the 156 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: most frightening periods of her life. 157 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 5: I was really really concerned, and I chatted with my 158 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:27,959 Speaker 5: partner about it, and he was like, well, the only 159 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,560 Speaker 5: thing that has changed in your life is you going 160 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 5: on this particular medication. 161 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: Suicidal ideation makes up one in every twenty adverse GLP 162 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:41,559 Speaker 1: one reactions reported to the TGA database. Since January twenty 163 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: twenty three, there have been three reports of attempted suicide 164 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: and separately, two deaths by suicide associated with the use 165 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: of these medications. Ozepic was the only product suspected to 166 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: be related to both of those deaths. The TGA website 167 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: stresses that the reports included in the database doesn't mean 168 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 1: the details of the event have been confirmed or that 169 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 1: the event has been determined to be related to that 170 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: specific medication that it's listed alongside. The TGA says it 171 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 1: uses adverse event reports to quote identify when a safety 172 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 1: issue may be present, but it says assessing the safety 173 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: of a medication cannot be made using the tracker alone. 174 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 5: Saw Juniper advertised and decided to go through the questionnaire 175 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 5: that they've got online, put in all accurate information, and 176 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 5: it gave me a prescription for ozenpic. 177 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:40,359 Speaker 1: Juniper is one of a growing number of online platforms 178 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:44,680 Speaker 1: that privately prescribe weight loss medications without requiring face to 179 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: face consults. It's a virtual or telehealth service, and while 180 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: individual practitioners must comply with compulsory standards, there is no 181 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: current mandatory safety and quality standards framework for these platforms. 182 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 1: Mackenzie disclosed to but that she'd been taking antidepressants since 183 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:06,199 Speaker 1: her early teens before she received a prescription for ozenpic. 184 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,440 Speaker 5: So I started receiving that in the mail and injecting 185 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:13,079 Speaker 5: that as per kind of the recommended guidelines. I kind 186 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,520 Speaker 5: of had peace of mind that it would cover everything 187 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:18,080 Speaker 5: that was in my medical history. 188 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: Mackenzie started on what she said was quite a low 189 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 1: dose of ozempic, but a month later she ramped up 190 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,680 Speaker 1: to a higher dose, and that's when she says things 191 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 1: started feeling off, essentially out of nowhere. She describes experiencing 192 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: suicidal ideations. Mackenzie shared her concerns with her regular GP, 193 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 1: but that GP is not the person who prescribed her 194 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: this medication. She got the drugs through Juniper. 195 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 5: He said that he'd seen this in a number of patients. 196 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 5: He explained to me how it kind of worked, and 197 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 5: one of the things is that it slows the digestive system, 198 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:57,080 Speaker 5: which then can have negative effects on absorption. 199 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 1: The medication Mackenzie was taking had stopped her body from 200 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: absorbing the antidepressants that she'd been used to taking for 201 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 1: more than a decade. 202 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 5: I was in such a bad place that he suggested 203 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:10,559 Speaker 5: I go to hospital, stop taking it and contact Gina 204 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:12,079 Speaker 5: pet to let them know that I was no longer 205 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:14,679 Speaker 5: taking it and explain what the side effects of that 206 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 5: had been for me. 207 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: Mackenzie followed the advice of her regular GP and stopped 208 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 1: taking ozebic immediately, but due to the slow release nature 209 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 1: of the drug, it took over a month for her 210 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 1: to start feeling like herself again. The twenty six year 211 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: old said she was surrounded by the right people and 212 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,840 Speaker 1: the right support to get herself back to feeling safe 213 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:37,959 Speaker 1: and happy. She considers herself one of the lucky ones, 214 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:42,239 Speaker 1: but Mackenzie holds broader concerns about what these prescribing practices 215 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:44,679 Speaker 1: could mean that at risk young people. 216 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 5: The fact that this is so freely available without even 217 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 5: so much as a zoom call or a face to 218 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 5: face check in is really really concerning to me, and 219 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 5: I think something needs to be done regarding the access 220 00:12:56,679 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 5: people have to this medication. I'm not saying that we 221 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 5: should never use it and that it should be totally 222 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 5: out of the question, but I think some kind of 223 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 5: regulation needs to be put in place. 224 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: So how are these medications regulated and how many people 225 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:11,319 Speaker 1: are taking them in Australia. 226 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 3: The short answer to the second part of. 227 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:18,200 Speaker 1: That question is really we have no idea, and that's 228 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: because of the way that these drugs are classified by 229 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: health regulators and something called the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme, The PBS. 230 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 7: Ozepic is funded by the Australian government, so on the 231 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 7: PBS for those people who meet certain parameters around their 232 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 7: type two diabetes, so those people need to be the 233 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:40,840 Speaker 7: ones who are prioritized to get access to it. 234 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 3: Let's break that down. 235 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 1: Ozepic is a PBIS listed drug for type two diabetes treatment, 236 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: so because of that, it'll cost a diabetic around forty 237 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: dollars a month to access. That doesn't mean it's illegal 238 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: to use ozepic for other reasons, but it does mean 239 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: prescriptions issued for a purpose other than diabetes, what's called 240 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: off label uses, aren't subsidized by the PBS and therefore 241 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 1: aren't tracked by it either. These private scripts also cost 242 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: patients upwards of four hundred dollars a month. 243 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 7: The other two medications are not on the PBS for 244 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 7: that indication. 245 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 1: Doctor Michael Bonning is talking about Munjaro and we go 246 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 1: v but we gov could soon become cheaper for some 247 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: people who take it after the TGA recently approved this 248 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,200 Speaker 1: drug as a treatment for heart disease in overweight patients. 249 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: This means the Medicine regulator has determined there is satisfactory 250 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: evidence that we govy is an effective complementary therapy for 251 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: adults with both cardiovascular disease and high body mass index 252 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: to reduce the related risk of heart attack, stroke or death. 253 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 1: We can find out how many people take ozenpic for 254 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 1: type two diabetes treatment, and we might soon be able 255 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 1: to find out how many people take we go v 256 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:57,240 Speaker 1: as a treatment for heart disease, But for everything else 257 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 1: it's virtually impossible to determine and the scale of the 258 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 1: use of these medications. Doctor Emma Beckett, a food and 259 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: nutrition scientist and an adjunct Senior lecturer at UNSW, says 260 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 1: this is an issue that needs to shift urgently. 261 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 4: My suspicion is the vast number of people accessing these 262 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 4: medications in Australia are accessing them through telehealth and not 263 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 4: through their standard GP. And for me, the question is 264 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 4: why are they going to their standard GP, and their 265 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 4: standard GP is going no, no, you don't need that, 266 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 4: and you go to the people who are selling them 267 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,400 Speaker 4: directly and that's their purpose and they go, well, of 268 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 4: course you can have that. And so my question is 269 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 4: about how do we look at that context because I 270 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 4: don't think we have that data. 271 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: So without that database of prescriptions, we decided to look 272 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: into this further to get a sense of how young 273 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: people are engaging with these medications. Around twenty five thousand 274 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: of you responded to a poll by The Daily Ods. 275 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: Eleven percent told us they had used Ozenpic or a 276 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: similar drug. We asked the eighty nine percent who hadn't 277 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,680 Speaker 1: used it if they've ever wanted to try ozenpic. Forty 278 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: three percent of respondents said yes. We heard from nurses, surgeons, 279 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: GP and other health professionals who said GLP one medications 280 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 1: licosenpic are among the most prescribed drugs in the country, 281 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: but it's how people are accessing these drugs, or rather 282 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: where they're getting their prescriptions that has some experts concerned. 283 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 4: If you Google interested in these drugs, the top hits 284 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 4: are not results to studies, They're not informational pieces. They're 285 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 4: links to the companies who are selling it, and medicine 286 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 4: and marketing should not be disconnected in this way because 287 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 4: I can't think of any other medication that happens like this. 288 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:08,239 Speaker 1: On the next episode of Investigating Ozenpic, we take a 289 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: closer look at the online providers prescribing weight loss medication 290 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: in Australia. We'll look into their duty of care and 291 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:19,400 Speaker 1: whether or not they're meeting those responsibilities. We'll hear from 292 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:23,360 Speaker 1: the people who've accessed these drugs through these providers and 293 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:25,120 Speaker 1: those who've worked for them. 294 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 4: If these people started these companies to deliberately sell these 295 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 4: weight loss drugs, that says there's a gap. That says 296 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:34,159 Speaker 4: when people are going to the doctor and having this 297 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:38,680 Speaker 4: conversation with their regular GP, they're not getting what they need. 298 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 1: We'll answer all your questions and more on part two. 299 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:47,400 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening to this episode. If 300 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 1: it's raised any concerns for you, help is available twenty 301 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 1: four to seven through lifelined on thirteen eleven fourteen. For 302 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: eating disorder support, you can contact the Butterfly Foundation on 303 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:01,400 Speaker 1: one eight hundred eighty hope. That's one eight hundred three 304 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 1: three four six seventy three. There are also some links 305 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: to resources in today's episode description. 306 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 3: My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda 307 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 3: Bunjelung Calcuttin woman from Gadighl Country. 308 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 8: The Daily oz acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on 309 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 8: the lands of the Gadighl people and pays respect to 310 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:28,200 Speaker 8: all Aboriginal and torrest Rate Island and nations. We pay 311 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,120 Speaker 8: our respects to the first peoples of these countries, both 312 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 8: past and present.