The history of the medicines that are used by Hollywood celebrities and ordinary Norwegians began in a lab in Denmark around 35 years ago. While “Dirty Dancing” was in cinemas, scientists discovered the hormone GLP-1, which is made naturally in our intestines. When Erlend Loe published “Naiv Super” in 1996, it was also discovered that GLP-1 helps control our hunger. First, an artificial version of the hormone was used to treat diabetes. Eventually, the researchers also saw that the patients lost weight. But it is only in the last couple of years that it has really taken off. People have started using the diabetes medicine Ozempic for slimming, and new medicines with a greater effect on weight have been approved in Norway. The result is that medicines to lose weight are now on the top list of medicine sales in Norway. The price tag so far this year? NOK 427 million. It is paid for by the patients themselves. Because the state will not pay for the diet pills. Extra jobs to get money Mona Kverneland Langerud lives in Brumunddal, a little north of Hamar. She has been using the medicine Wegovy for two months. – I felt quite desperate, and thought that you must try something because it was going beyond my everyday life. Alainemora with two children is studying to become a social worker. But at the same time as she has been commuting to Lillehammer University College, her weight has increased. – I couldn’t bend down properly to put on my shoes. It’s embarrassing, she says. Mona Kverneland Langerud has received good help from medication that suppresses the appetite. Photo: Mona Kverneland Langerud At first she and the GP tried to get her another slimming medicine, covered by the state. But because she has no illnesses in addition to being overweight, she was refused. – When I got the rejection, I went to the basement and thought “I must get diabetes and joint problems before I can get any help”. Finally, the doctor suggested that he could prescribe Wegovy for her. But then she had to pay herself. The price tag is initially NOK 36,000 a year. – I am a student and a single mother. I hardly have time, but I got a temporary job this summer, so I’ve been working. And I take on temporary jobs to have enough money for everything to go around. Want to save money on lower doses After eight weeks on the medicine, Mona has noticed a clear difference. She has lost several kilos in weight, and it has become easier to put on her shoes. Now she wonders if she can ration her medicine. According to the plan, she will eventually switch to a higher dose of the medicine. But it will cost more. – So I sent a message to the doctor today asking if I can stick to one milligram, because it is actually NOK 1,000 cheaper a month than increasing up to the recommended maintenance dose. Cost and effect The reason why Mona Kverneland Langerud has to pay herself is that the Norwegian Medicines Agency has decided that the effect of the medicine Wegovy, which was developed for slimming, is not effective enough in relation to how expensive it is. This meant that the “sister medicine” Saxenda also lost its place on the blue prescription, which is the list of medicines for which the state takes the bill. But it is expected that the Norwegian Medicines Agency will reconsider the decision from this winter after a new study is published. Just taking the medicine doesn’t help much. In addition, you must eat healthy. And the effect of the medicine basically only lasts as long as you take it. This means that the cost of around NOK 36,000 a year is something people have to expect to pay for many years to come. In addition to Wegovy and Saxenda, there are many people who receive the diabetes medicine Ozempic to lose weight. Ozempic is issued on blue prescription to those with diabetes. But a large part of the sales in Norway are over the counter, meaning that the patients pay the bill themselves. The Norwegian Medicines Agency believes this is used for slimming. Families with children cannot afford it Every year around 1,000 people are referred to the obesity outpatient clinic at St. Olav’s hospital in Trondheim. The patients here have the disease obesity. – People have a desperate desire not to be obese. You have tried everything when you come here, says senior physician Rønnaug Ødegård. She works on a daily basis with children and young people up to the age of 18, and often ends up providing different treatment based on what the young people and their families can afford. Rønnaug Ødegård is senior physician at the Children’s and Youth Clinic at St. Olav’s Hospital and head of the Regional Center for Obesity Research and Innovation. Photo: Sverre Lilleeng / news The intense desire to get help to get healthier means that the willingness to pay for the medicine is absolutely enormous, says Ødegård. – Even people who receive disability benefits can in some cases find out that they manage to prioritize and use the appetite-regulating medicines that are relevant. But the pediatrician thinks it’s terrible to see that patients can’t afford the treatment that research shows has a very good effect on obesity. – There is no other illness in children’s medicine that falls into the category of parents not being able to afford the treatment. Both she and the parents know that severe obesity makes it less likely that the young people will complete upper secondary school. They also have a reduced chance of participating in working life. – So getting good treatment for severe obesity as early as possible is absolutely essential to achieving good health. The parents know that when they come here. WEGOVY (Semaglutide) Effect: In a pivotal study (STEP1), people who received the medicine lost an average of 14.9 percent in weight, while those who received a placebo lost 2.4 percent. 66.1 percent of the medicated lost at least 10 percent in weight, while 12.1 percent of the placebo group did the same. Common side effects: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain Headache Fatigue Serious side effects: Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) Serious allergic reactions Fluid loss and Dehydration Worsening of diabetic retinal disease (retinopathy) PS: Not all the studies with Wegovy have shown the same effect. The Swedish Medicines Agency also emphasizes that you cannot easily compare the effect between the medicines since the studies are conducted in slightly different ways and with different patient groups. SAXENDA (Liraglutide) Effect: In a central study (SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes), people who received the medicine went on average 8 .0 percent lost weight, while those who received a placebo lost 2.6 percent. 32.8 percent of the medicated lost at least 10 percent in weight, while 10.1 percent of the placebo group did the same. Common side effects: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation Headache Serious side effects: Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) Serious allergic reactions Fluid loss and dehydration PS: Not all studies with Saxenda have shown the same effect. The Swedish Medicines Agency also emphasizes that you cannot easily compare the effects between the drugs since the studies have been conducted in slightly different ways and with different patient groups. 5.4 percent lost weight, while those who received a placebo lost 1.3 percent. 31 percent of those treated lost at least 5 percent in weight, while 12 percent of the placebo group did the same. Common side effects: Nausea, vomiting, constipation. Headaches. Serious side effects: Suicidal thoughts and feelings of depression. Seizures. The Swedish Medicines Agency also emphasizes that one cannot easily compare the effects between the medicines since the studies were conducted in slightly different ways and with different patient groups. Source: Swedish Medicines Agency
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Norwegians have bought slimming drugs such as Wegovy and Saxenda for over 420 million this year alone – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
