Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) analog. GLP-1 is a hormone produced in the small intestine that stimulates insulin secretion and inhibits glucagon secretion, thereby lowering blood sugar.

Semaglutide is causing a social media frenzy. So what is it?

The latest craze on social media is not a dance challenge or a viral meme, but an injectable medication originally designed to treat diabetes.

Known as semaglutide and marketed under names such as Ozempic and WeGovy, the drug has recently gained popularity as a weight-loss tool.

TikTok and Instagram videos theorise Kim Kardashian used the medication to lose weight for her outfit at the 2022 Met Gala.

Celebrity doctor and republican candidate Dr Oz spruiked semaglutide on his television show, and billionaire Elon Musk tweeted that the drug featured in his own weight-loss regime.

Here’s how the surging demand for the diabetes drug has resulted in a worldwide shortage, leaving Australians waiting months for their next dose.

What is semaglutide?

Semaglutide is a medication that works by mimicking hormones that control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

The medication has also been found to affect appetite resulting in fewer cravings, a change in preferences away from fatty foods and less overall energy intake.

In one study, participants lost on average 15 per cent of their body weight while taking the drug.

Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk markets semaglutide under the brand name Ozempic, which comes as a once-a-week injection.

A different dosage specifically designed to tackle obesity — called WeGovy — is registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods but is not yet available in Australia.

Further studies on semaglutide have shown drawbacks to its use.

In clinical trials, 44 per cent of WeGovy patients reported nausea compared to 16 per cent treated with a placebo, while 30 per cent of WeGovy users reported diarrhoea compared to 16 per cent of placebo patients.

Trials also found that patients taken off semaglutide on average regained two-thirds of their weight once they stopped using the drug.

It means that use of semaglutide is probably not a permanent fix.

Who is using semaglutide?

Ozempic-branded semaglutide has been available in Australia since 2019 and is used by Type-2 diabetics to manage blood sugar levels.

But in recent years, the drug has gained popularity in Australia to treat obesity.

Melbourne resident Rachel* began using the drug out of a desire to lose weight.

“Even people who are a part of the fat acceptance movement have reached that mental point, after years and years of dieting and then regaining that weight, or dieting and losing a little bit, and then plateauing,” she said.

“Always struggling with this niggling sense of hunger that you just can’t let go of.”

Rachel discovered semaglutide through a New York Times article, one that reported measurable weight loss for those who took it in clinical trials.

Her GP had never even heard of the drug from the article when Rachel raised it, and she had to be referred to a specialist to obtain it.

Semaglutide Dosage