An injectable medication has become the latest drug used by celebrities and endorsed on social media for weight-loss purposes. This has led to a global shortage in many countries for those who need it.
Ozempic, which is stocked in UAE pharmacies for Type 2 diabetes patients, contains semaglutide, an ingredient that acts as an insulin regulator, helping the pancreas to release the correct amount of insulin when blood sugar levels are high.
However, over the past year, the drug, manufactured by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, has been sought out by non-diabetics owing to its side effects, which include rapid weight loss.
This is disturbing because not only has Ozempic’s popularity lead to a global shortage of the drug, meaning diabetes patients are unable to access it, but also some of its side effects can be harmful and even potentially fatal.
“Increased demand for Ozempic 0.25mg and 0.5mg, and 1mg solution for the injection in pre-filled pens has led to intermittent shortages globally, which are expected to continue into 2023,” Novo Nordisk wrote to the healthcare industry last month.
Further, in the list of FAQs on the Ozempic website, it cites the most common side effects as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain and constipation. Serious side effects are listed as pancreatitis, changes in vision, kidney failure, serious allergic reactions, and “possible thyroid tumours, including cancer”.
"Some other side effects of Ozempic include hypoglycemia, dizziness and gastroenteritis," says Dr Salman Abdul Bari at RAK Hospital. “It is being used by non-diabetic patients who are in a normal weight range, and who may not know that it’s not safe for pregnant or breast-feeding women."
Dr Hala Youssef Hamdy, a specialist endocrinologist at RAK Hospital, adds: “Ozempic should also not be taken by patients with a family history of medullary carcinoma of thyroid. Serious side effects include gallbladder stones and retinopathy.”
The science behind Ozempic
“Semaglutide (Ozempic) was developed in 2012, and is an anti-diabetic medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes,” says Badiani. “Ozempic works by mimicking the action of GLP-1, a naturally occurring hormone that helps to regulate blood glucose levels. By binding to and activating the GLP-1 receptor, it stimulates insulin secretion and lowers glucagon secretion when blood glucose levels are high.”
Social media and celebrities responsible for misuse?
Reporting on the drug’s widespread use in Hollywood, industry publication Variety noted: “Moguls, reality starlets, veteran film producers and, of course, actors are quietly singing the drug’s praises on Signal, the encrypted messaging app mostly used for confidential conversations. Hair, make-up and styling teams for celebrities have come to accept the injections as part of grooming rituals ahead of major events.
“In a matter of months, it has become the worst-kept secret in Hollywood — especially given that its most enthusiastic users are not pre-diabetic and do not require the drug.”
Further, videos tagging Ozempic on TikTok have been viewed millions of times.
“Losing weight, for many, can be a long and arduous process of eating healthy and working out," says Badiani. "Ozempic is seen as an easy way to lose weight.”
However, she adds that, as with most quick-fix solutions, “those taking Ozempic for weight loss, once they stop the medication, they are likely to put weight back on as the appetite suppressant effect stops”.
Celebrities who have fuelled the conversation around Ozempic include Khloe Kardashian and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards, who have both taken to social media to deny accusations they have taken the drug for weight loss.
More recently, American comedienne Chelsea Handler said on the Call Her Daddy podcast that she had no idea she was being prescribed Ozempic by her doctor. She says she stopped taking it once she realised it was a drug for diabetics because it would be “too irresponsible” for her to take it.
One celebrity who has been open about taking it is British TV host Jeremy Clarkson, who wrote about it in his column for The Sunday Times. “You inject yourself once a week, upping the dose each time, and it dulls your appetite,” he wrote. “It’s genuinely incredible ... Of course, I’ll have to insert some balance in the future, or I’ll, you know, die. But for now it’s tremendous.”
The experts, however, vociferously disagree. As Bari puts it: "Physicians across the world do not recommend it for normal-weight patients for cosmetic purposes."
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Getting%20there%20
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Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Results
- Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns
- Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
- AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
- Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
- Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
- The Undertaker beat John Cena
- The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
- Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
- Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
- Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
- Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
- Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
- Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
- Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
