Ozempic can be prescribed online
Order OnlineWhat is Ozempic, the diet drug?
Ozempic is a type of drug that has been used as a treatment for diabetes, specifically a GLP-1 receptor agonist. "GLP-1" is a type of hormone called incretin, which promotes the secretion of insulin, a hormone that lowers blood sugar levels. While GLP-1 is a substance we naturally have in our bodies, administering it externally as a GLP-1 receptor agonist not only helps regulate blood sugar but also suppresses appetite and increases satiety. As a result, it can lead to a reduction in food intake, which contributes to weight loss.
Ozempic was approved by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) in 2017 and is currently sold in 28 countries. It is also approved and sold in Japan for type 2 diabetes.
New 2mg Ozempic launched in 2022!
Ozempic is initiated at a dose of 0.25mg once weekly, and then increased to 0.5mg and 1.0mg.
Previously, conventional Ozempic subcutaneous injections were available in three strengths—0.25mg, 0.5mg, and 1.0mg—with each dose contained in a separate syringe. This often led to unused medication being wasted if the dose was changed mid-treatment.
However, the current version of Ozempic now contains 2mg in a single pen, allowing you to administer only the required dose by adjusting the dial yourself. Additionally, the previous type required the full injection of the pen, which meant a larger volume of medication and came with a thicker needle (approximately 0.33mm), causing many patients to experience pain during injection. Now, with a reduced volume of medication per injection and the ability to use ultra-fine needles like 32G or 34G (approximately 0.18mm, as thin as a strand of hair), you can use it with almost no pain. Our clinic offers this 2mg type.
How is Ozempic used?
Administration Method
Ozempic is a GLP-1 receptor agonist administered once a week.
Please always select a subcutaneous area (an area with more fat) for injection.
If there are no wounds or implants, the abdomen is generally the easiest place to inject.
Inject about three finger-widths away from the navel.
Storage Method
TextIf the temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius, the components will change. Store in the refrigerator until use, and after first use, store refrigerated or at room temperature (1-30°C) and use within 8 weeks.
If you forget to administer a dose
If you forget to inject, and the interval until the next scheduled injection is 2 days (48 hours) or more, inject immediately when you remember, and then resume injecting on your regularly scheduled day. If the interval until the next scheduled injection is less than 2 days (48 hours), do not inject at that time, and instead inject on your next regularly scheduled day.
Column: Does Ozempic really last for a week?
Patients often ask me, "Does Ozempic really last for a week?" The figure below shows the blood concentration of Ozempic (semaglutide) from the day of administration up to 7 days later in individuals using 0.5mg and 1.0mg doses. The blood concentration does not drop sharply in the latter half of administration but rather follows a gentle curve, indicating that the effects of GLP-1 continue gradually even with weekly administration (1*).
What are the effects of Ozempic? How much weight can be lost over what period? Let's look at the research results!
Study ①: Significant weight loss in Ozempic users
We will present the results of a study that followed patients with type 2 diabetes managed solely with diet and exercise, who were administered semaglutide (Ozempic) 0.5mg, semaglutide (Ozempic) 1.0mg, or a placebo, over a period of 30 weeks. This was a large-scale clinical trial conducted in 72 countries, including Japan, and figures i) and ii) show the tracked weight changes. Below, I will present findings from the SUSTAIN1 clinical trial, which also discussed weight change, as mentioned in the side effects section above (2*).
As shown, compared to the placebo group, the semaglutide group showed significant weight loss starting from 4 weeks after administration. At 30 weeks, the semaglutide 0.5mg group showed an average decrease of 3.73kg from baseline, and the semaglutide 1.0mg group showed an average decrease of 4.53kg. Considering that the placebo group only showed a decrease of 0.98kg, it can be said that the diet effect of semaglutide (Ozempic) is clearly observed.
Study ②: Significant weight loss in Ozempic users
This is the result of a study on subcutaneous semaglutide administration (the active ingredient in Ozempic; hereinafter referred to as "Ozempic" for convenience) for obese patients (non-diabetics) with a BMI of 30-45 (3*). This study compared a group that gradually increased the dose of Ozempic from 0.25mg to 0.5mg to 1.0mg (labeled as 1.0mg in the figure) with a group that received a placebo. While the placebo group showed no weight loss after 12 weeks (and even gained 1kg), the group that received Ozempic showed a weight loss of approximately 5kg (Figure A).
Furthermore, this paper conducted an interesting study where subjects who received Ozempic or placebo for 12 weeks were gathered in one place and allowed to freely eat during lunch, dinner, and snack times, with their calorie intake also observed. The results showed that the Ozempic group had reduced calorie intake compared to the placebo group for all three—lunch, dinner, and snack times (Figure C). Focusing on the types of food consumed, it was found that the Ozempic group had a reduced intake of high-fat foods (Figure D).
Research Result ③: Ozempic and Trulicity, Ozempic is recognized to have higher weight loss efficacy.
Even among GLP-1 preparations, there are subdivisions such as semaglutide, liraglutide, and dulaglutide. Ozempic (injection) and Saxenda (injection) contain "semaglutide," Rybelsus (tablets) contains "liraglutide," and Trulicity (injection) contains "dulaglutide." The following study compares semaglutide and dulaglutide (4*).
This is a paper from the large-scale clinical trial (Phase 3b) called SUSTAIN7, which involved 194 hospitals in 16 countries. In this trial, 1201 type 2 diabetes patients who were only prescribed metformin, a diabetes drug, were administered either semaglutide (Ozempic) 0.5mg, semaglutide (Ozempic) 1mg, dulaglutide (Trulicity) 0.75mg, or dulaglutide (Trulicity) 1.5mg for 40 weeks.
Regarding weight change, as shown in Figure ①, a difference began to emerge around 4-8 weeks after administration, and ultimately, it was observed that semaglutide (Ozempic) led to greater weight loss than dulaglutide (Trulicity).
Furthermore, the average weight change at 40 weeks was a decrease of 4.6kg for semaglutide (Ozempic) 0.5mg, 2.3kg for dulaglutide (Trulicity) 0.75mg, 6.5kg for semaglutide (Ozempic) 1mg, and 3.0kg for dulaglutide (Trulicity) 1.5mg (Figure ②). Although weight loss was observed in all groups, it is clear that the semaglutide (Ozempic) group showed a higher weight loss effect in both low and high dose comparisons.
Although appetite suppression effects are seen early, it is not a drug for rapid, significant weight loss.
As shown in the research results above, while Ozempic's appetite suppression effects appear early, it is not a drug that causes rapid, significant weight loss.
In clinical trials, results are often published over a period of 12 weeks (3 months) to 1 year for safe use. While weight loss seems more pronounced in healthy individuals compared to diabetic patients, GLP-1 diets that do not consider dietary or exercise therapy yield slower results.
If you are looking to use GLP-1 as a support to lose weight more efficiently than dieting on your own, please combine it with dietary and exercise therapy.
Our clinic's goal is not just to prescribe, but to help our patients achieve their ideal weight. We collaborate with nutritionists and trainers to provide support from various angles.
If you are interested, please feel free to inquire.
I'm using Ozempic, but I'm not losing weight! What should I do?
Re-evaluate your entire lifestyle!
- First, ensure you have been taking it for a sufficient period.
It is said that it takes about two weeks for the body to get used to the appetite suppression and adapt to smaller meal portions. Conversely, if you stop GLP-1 dieting before two weeks, you won't get used to smaller meal portions, making it easier for your appetite and food intake to return, leading to rebound. Just as reducing food intake for one day does not immediately cause weight loss, injecting (or taking orally) GLP-1 receptor agonists, which naturally suppress appetite, does not lead to immediate weight loss. To lose weight naturally and without undue strain, it is said that an assessment of effectiveness is needed after about three months. Even if you don't think you're losing weight after a week, please continue without giving up. However, if you are in a hurry for events like weddings, or if you have tried GLP-1 dieting for a long time in the past without losing weight, please consult our clinic anytime. We will provide advice to maximize effectiveness within safe limits!
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Check if you are eating a balanced diet.
GLP-1 dieting is a weight loss method that uses appetite suppression and is not a nutritional supplement. Therefore, while you should need less food than usual, if your diet is high in fats and sugars or unbalanced, the diet's effectiveness will be lower.
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Incorporating moderate exercise will make it easier to lose weight.
GLP-1 dieting is known as a method that allows you to lose weight gently while suppressing appetite. However, if you only take GLP-1 without any exercise, the rate of weight loss will be gradual. Incorporating even a little aerobic exercise, such as walking or jogging, can increase muscle mass and boost your basal metabolism, making your diet more efficient and effective.
What are the side effects of Ozempic? Is it safe?
About side effects
Among the side effects of Ozempic, gastrointestinal disorders are the most frequent. Nausea and diarrhea, in particular, are reported to occur at a frequency of over 5%. However, gastrointestinal disorders can also be considered a temporary intensification of the drug's intended effects. If the symptoms are not too severe, continuing the medication often leads to a gradual resolution of symptoms within 2-3 weeks.
Regarding the risk of hypoglycemia, it is reported to be an infrequent side effect.
GLP-1 is a hormone that promotes insulin secretion to lower blood sugar levels when they rise. Therefore, all GLP-1 receptor agonists, including Ozempic, which mimic this function, are effective medications with a low risk of hypoglycemia.
The following section shows the results of Ozempic's clinical trials, where there were 0 reports of hypoglycemia in Ozempic users, but surprisingly 3 cases in individuals who received a placebo. Of course, reports of hypoglycemia are not zero, and if excessive carbohydrate restriction, extreme dieting, or excessive exercise is undertaken, hypoglycemia can occur even without medication. We believe that the risk of hypoglycemia is considerably low if proper usage and diet are maintained, without resorting to overly extreme dieting methods.
There are also reports of acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) occurring at a frequency of 0.1%, but the conclusion of these overseas results is that the causal relationship with GLP-1 receptor agonist use is not clear. However, please keep this as a potential risk, and if you experience sudden abdominal pain after use, please contact the clinic immediately.
Research results on Ozempic side effects
This is a paper published in 2021 titled "Safety of Semaglutide," which reviewed the results of over 20 clinical trials using semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Rybelsus) and discussed its safety (5*). The table below is an excerpt from this paper, modified into Japanese, focusing on the side effects section of a clinical trial called SUSTAIN1, which compared subcutaneous semaglutide administration (the same as Ozempic) with a placebo. In SUSTAIN1, patients with type 2 diabetes managed solely with diet and exercise therapy were administered either semaglutide 0.5mg, semaglutide 1mg, or a placebo, and followed for 30 weeks. The weight loss effects will be discussed in the "Effects of Ozempic" section below, but here we show a comparison of the side effects that occurred.
In the semaglutide administration group, there were 0 reported cases of hypoglycemia. This number is lower than that of the placebo, indicating high safety. Furthermore, all reports of pancreatic disease, thyroid disease, and acute kidney injury were also 0. As expected, gastrointestinal symptoms were the most frequently reported side effects, with nausea occurring in 20% of the semaglutide 0.5mg group and 24% in the 1mg group, compared to 8% in the placebo group.
References
(5*) Smits, M. M. & Raalte, D. H. V. Safety of Semaglutide. Front Endocrinol 12, 645563 (2021)
