TikTok weight loss trend drives medicine shortage

A global surge in demand for drugs used for weight loss by US celebrities is behind the shortage of a vital medicine used by type 2 diabetics in New Zealand.

Billionaire Elon Musk attributed his new ‘‘fit, ripped & healthy’’ look to diabetes drug Wegovy in a recent Twitter post and Kardashian fans are making viral TikTok posts about Ozempic, another diabetes medicine, convinced it’s behind Khloe Kardashian’s recent major weight loss.

Last month, news broke that thousands of people with diabetes could be affected by a shortage of another GLP-1 agonist diabetes drug: Trulicity (dulaglutide).

A global supply shortage of GLP-1 agonist drugs – expected to last until next year – has seen manufacturer Lilly ask New Zealand healthcare providers to consider not prescribing Trulicity to new patients.

According to Pharmac, 14,000 Kiwi diabetics are currently prescribed the drug. Chief executive Sarah Fitt said it was working with Eli Lilly to explore all possible alternatives.

But a massive surge in demand for GLP-1 agonist drugs for weight loss is being fed by people taking to TikTok and other social media platforms to talk about them. The drugs go under a variety of brand names, from Trulicity (dulaglutide) and Ozempic (semaglutide), to Wegovy (semaglutide). While Musk confirmed he has taken Wegovy, the Kardashians attribute their weight loss to diet and exercise.

Counties Manukau resident Graham King was diagnosed with diabetes in 1990 and started taking dulaglutide this year. He said his insulin intake had halved and he had lost 15kg since he began taking it.

King said the medication had been life changing for him and he was concerned about people using it ‘‘off label’’ to lose weight.

‘‘It certainly shouldn’t just be used as a weight loss drug, it should be used for medicinal purposes only. Otherwise people who need it for medical reasons, like diabetics, will miss out,’’ King said.

Dr David Simmons is a professor at Western Sydney University’s School of Medicine, but previously worked as a specialist in Counties Manukau and is an internationally recognised expert on diabetes.

He said the shortages experienced by diabetics in New Zealand were also being felt in Australia.

Simmons said the fact such medicines were effective for both the treatment of diabetes and weight loss was behind the spike in global demand.