Yusupov Explains Ozempic Alternatives

First for Women featured insight from NYITCOM Assistant Professor Eleanor Yusupov, D.O., in an article about Ozempic alternatives for weight loss, including Wegovy, compounded semaglutide, tirzepatide, other GLP-1 agonists, and berberine. Among other points, she explains that Ozempic and Wegovy are both brand names for semaglutide and that, while Ozempic is FDA-approved to treat diabetes, Wegovy is approved as a weight loss medication. Given this, a push for weight loss patients to take Wegovy may help alleviate the shortage of Ozempic medication required by diabetes patients.

“The biggest drawback to using Ozempic for weight loss is that it creates a very real shortage of this medication for patients with diabetes,” says Yusupov, an obesity medicine physician. Wegovy is also available in a stronger dose than Ozempic, which may make it more effective for weight loss, she adds.