HEALTH MINISTER STEPHEN Donnelly has said there is emerging evidence that Ozempic is a “wonder drug”, stating that he is open to expanding the medication to more groups.

The drug contains semaglutide, which is effective in regulating blood sugar and insulin for people with type 2 diabetes and in suppressing appetite for people with obesity.

Striking new findings from the Yale School of Medicine show that drugs containing semaglutide, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have more far-reaching health benefits than first thought and that they can slow down the biological ageing process, allowing people to live in better health for longer.

Writing for The Journal recently, Cardiologist Professor Robert Byrne said the new evidence suggesting drugs like Ozempic can slow down the ageing process is worth celebrating.

Asked about the NHS in the UK giving consideration to opening the drug up to millions of more people on the back of the new research, and whether the HSE should also give thought to doing the same, the health minister said:

“I do.”

He went on to state that he is “absolutely” open to the idea of the drugs being expanded to more groups.

However, the minister said there is a process in place whereby a company can apply for a medicine to be used for different uses, and that has not happened.

Ozempic is currently only licenced for use to treat diabetes, while Wegovy is licensed for weight loss. However, this does not prevent GPs from prescribing Ozempic for other conditions, such as obesity.

In such cases, patients can not avail of the Drug Payments Scheme and must pay out more than €140 per month for the medication if it is not prescribed for diabetes.

“[Ozempic] is authorised for diabetes, but there are people who are taking it, or would like to take it for dietary reasons and for weight loss,” said Donnelly, adding:

There’s emerging evidence that actually, it might be some kind of wonder drug.

“So the process is, the company can apply for different uses, the HSE have the teams in place who then evaluate that and do the cost benefit analysis,” said Donnelly.

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When asked if the HSE is considering including Ozempic under the Drug Payment Scheme, the HSE said a company must first submit an application to have a new medicine added to the reimbursement list.

As Ozempic is licenced for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes and is not licensed for the treatment of weight management in a non-diabetic population, reimbursement is not permitted for those that use the drug for weight loss.

Only those that use the medication for diabetes can get the cost reimbursed.

The HSE states that Novo Nordisk, the company responsible for supplying Ozempic, has notified the HPRA of global supply issues due to increased global demand and manufacturing capacity constraints, stating that the company anticipates that intermittent supply issues will continue in 2024.