Forget budget woes — the City Council is worrying about one other type of belt tightening.
A latest bill now being weighed by city legislators would require health authorities to warn Recent Yorkers in regards to the dangers of taking Ozempic and other diabetes drugs for weight reduction.
The medications have develop into a hot eating regimen fad, with celebs like Tracy Morgan, Oprah Winfrey, Amy Schumer and Elon Musk reportedly taking it to shed the kilos.
Boy George even called Ozempic a “wonder drug.”
But Councilwoman Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) is finding the medication hard to swallow — and is sponsoring laws that might require the town Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to publish materials in regards to the “negative consequences” of the drug for “off-label use for weight reduction.”
Those consequences include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, flu-like symptoms, fatigue and hypoglycemia.
Menin also said it’s vital to not deplete the provision of the drugs for dieters, when it is required desperately for patients with life-threatening diabetes, relatively than weight reduction.
Greater than 1 million of 8.5 million city residents are stricken with diabetes, exceeding certainly one of every ten residents.
Data reveal that diabetes is the sixth leading explanation for death within the Big Apple.
“We’d like to make sure that patients affected by diabetes don’t face difficulties accessing this drug on account of the increased off-label use of those products solely for weight reduction,” Menin told The Post.
“Furthermore, there are serious health consequences related to these medications and it’s vital that the Health Department disseminate information in order that individuals are well informed about these risks.”
Ozempic is probably the most prescribed Type 2 diabetes and obesity medication within the country.
The drug prescription volume surged from 1.5 million in 2019 to 9 million by the top of 2022 because it became more popular for weight reduction.
About 4 million people have taken Ozempic — and the same drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro — for weight reduction, in response to data compiled by Mennins’ office.
The laws doesn’t actually name the drugs that can fall under the law, but Menin said she was targeting Ozempic and similar drugs.
The US Food and Drug Administration has not approved Ozempic for weight reduction, but doctors have been known to approve it for weight reduction anyway, a practice called “off label” prescription.
Wegovy and Mounjaro has been given such approval.
The bill will likely be reviewed first by the Council Health Committee, whose chairwoman, Queens Councilwoman Lynn Schulman, has signed on as a co-sponsor.
Novo Nordisk, the Recent Jersey-based pharmaceutical firm that produces Ozempic and Wegovy, had no immediate comment on the laws.
However the firm noted Ozempic is FDA-approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, to enhance blood sugar, and reduce the chance of heart attack, stroke, or death.
“Ozempic isn’t approved for chronic weight management,” the firm said in a fact sheet.
“We ask that healthcare professionals prescribe our medicines consistent with their FDA-approved indications.”
It also manufactures Wegovy, which is FDA-approved for “chronic weight management ” for people who find themselves obese or chubby.
The firm said it’s ramping up the provision and distribution of Wegovy.
“it’s vital to remember that overall demand will proceed to exceed supply which suggests that some patients should have difficulty filling Wegovy prescriptions,” the actual fact sheet said.
Mayor Adams’ office didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment on the bill.