Advising Against Microdosing Diabetes Drugs for Weight-Loss Treatment
Bouvé/ChE University Distinguished Professor Mansoor Amiji cautions against microdosing diabetes drugs such as Ozempic for weight-loss treatment, saying there is limited clinical data to support its effectiveness despite increased interest as a way to avoid high prices and unwanted side effects.
This article originally appeared on Northeastern Global News. It was published by Cynthia McCormick Hibbert. Main photo: Micro dosing with the Ozempic needle injection pen is gaining in popularity, but there’s no proof it is effective, Northeastern expert says. Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via AP
Does microdosing Ozempic work? What are experts saying about diabetes drug also used for weight loss?
The high price and side effects of Ozempic, the blockbuster diabetes drug also used off label for weight loss, has led people to stretch out their supply by taking the medication in smaller, micro doses.
But the efficacy of micro dosing Ozempic has yet to be determined by clinical trials, says Northeastern professor Mansoor Amiji.
A micro dose could amount to one-10th the amount of the standard prescription, says Amiji, university distinguished professor of pharmaceutical sciences and chemical engineering.
“Nobody has done any clinical studies with one-tenth of the dose to show whether it is working or not working,” he says.
“Microdosing is not, in my opinion,” a solution to the high cost of the diabetes drug also used for weight loss, says Professor Mansoor Amiji. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Ozempic, the trade name for semaglutide, is a once-a-week injectable medication in the class of GLP-1 receptor agonists used to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
Doses start at 0.25 milligrams weekly and may eventually be increased to 2 milligrams weekly, according to GoodRx.
Ozempic is also prescribed for weight loss, which is considered an off-label treatment rarely covered by insurance.
The out-of-pocket cost for an injectable pen with a full dose of Ozempic can cost over $1,000—providing an incentive for people to stretch out their treatments by microdosing.
Published reports say the cost has led to patients taking the popular drug in smaller amounts to make it last longer.
And it’s not just Ozempic—other blockbuster GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound are part of the microdosing trend, according to Healthline.
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