'They're being lied to': Oatzempic and the 'false market' of GLP-1 dupes

Key takeaways:

• Patients take popular products claiming to work like Ozempic to improve their health, often thinking they are natural.
• However, most are unaware of the serious dangers taking unprescribed supplements can pose.

Products claiming to work like GLP-1s are popular and misleading, but primary care providers can help their patients avoid potentially dangerous supplements, according to experts.

The popularity of GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk), has resulted in a boom of various supplements and products claiming to offer similar results on the market in the United States.

Recently, for example, a drink composed of oats, water and lime juice, labeled as ‘oatzepic’ went viral for its purported appetite-restricting qualities. Additionally, Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s supplement company released a GLP-1 pill that, per the company’s website, is not a GLP-1 agonist and does not contain synthetic GLP-1. However, the product claims to offer “science-backed results” in weight management for $72 per month.

Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, an obesity medicine physician scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, told Healio that supplements and products such as ‘oatzempic’ claiming to offer significant weight loss in a short time period “often lack rigorous scientific evidence to support their claims,” and therefore are not equivalent to medications that are FDA-approved.

“[These products] may promise results similar to those of clinically tested medications like GLP-1 receptor agonists without undergoing the same level of scrutiny and testing,” Stanford said. “This can pose risks to consumers, as the safety and efficacy of these products are not guaranteed. Consumers must approach such products with caution and seek advice from health care professionals.”

From what she sees publicly marketed, many of these products “are, in fact, not what we would describe as GLP-1s at all,” according to Sarah C. Nosal, MD, FAAFP, president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Because those medications are expensive and not readily available to the general public, “we're seeing this false market swoop into this area,” she told Healio.

“[Patients think] I can’t get this thing I was told would be a good choice for me,’” she added. “People are looking for that, but they're being lied to.”

‘Even savvy patients are vulnerable’

Nosal, who is also a family physician in the South Bronx, said that every single day she practices, she is asked about various powders, supplements, medications, pills, shots and tinctures that are marketed for patients’ health and wellness, and always, the motivations are positive: patients want to take better care of themselves.

“Often, I feel that some of these regulations put patients at risk of harming themselves because it opens them up to false claims,” she said. “I've had more patients in the last month who are having significant side effects from things they bought over the counter they thought were natural than I have had in many, many years. There’s just such an uptick in use.”

In fact, Nosal recounted a recent experience with a patient who was having unexplainable symptoms: new tachycardia and panic attacks. After a long discussion with the patient about what they were taking, the pair discovered that the patient’s protein powder had a stimulant that was interacting with her prescribed medications.

Stanford said that medical knowledge among the general public varies, and many might need help critically evaluating health claims.

“This gap can be exploited by companies that use marketing tactics to promote products with exaggerated or misleading claims,” she said. “As a result, consumers may be more susceptible to purchasing products that do not deliver promised benefits or pose health risks.”

Nosal said that even savvy patients are vulnerable because many patients do not understand that dietary supplements are regulated differently from other food and drugs.

“Patients don’t understand that, consumers don’t understand that, [even] my family doesn’t understand that,” Nosal said. “If it’s not going to be regulated, you need to make it clear that these are nonregulated products. I know it says that in tiny print on some of these bottles, but the patients I care for do not understand that and have had some damaging consequences to their health.”

Talking with trusted health care providers, like PCPs, can help prevent those damaging consequences, she said. But unfortunately, some patients turn to less reliable sources, like online influencers or celebrities, who are paid to promote potentially dangerous products.

“When celebrities and influencers endorse health products, they can significantly influence consumer behavior due to their large followings and perceived authority,” Stanford said. “However, these endorsements may be based on something other than scientific evidence, leading to the spread of misinformation. This can be particularly concerning for health products, as it may encourage individuals to use ineffective or potentially harmful products without proper medical guidance.”

Nosal mentioned that not all celebrity endorsement is bad — after all, Michelle Obama “had a wonderful fitness initiative for our country where young people were excited about getting fit and being out there and moving for their health, unrelated to weight loss and all of those pieces, just to be healthy.”

“We know that you can use endorsements for really positive needs,” she added. “I try to teach my patients and my family and people who ask me about this as a physician that we should be skeptical if someone is being paid to endorse any product, even if that's a product that I might normally prescribe. we should take a minute and say, ‘What's their motivation? What's actually happening here?’”

Wudeneh Mulugeta, MD, MPH, FACP, an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told Healio that influencers and celebrities “play very powerful roles in our society.”

“The general public may trust and identify with them,” he said. “However, it is most prudent for the general public to get health information from their own health care providers who are not only experts in the field but also know their individual medical history and can provide personalized and safe treatment options.”

PCPs are often that trusted resource for patients because of the rapport and long-term relationship they have with patients, Mulugeta said.

“However, in the current digital era, providers would have to keep up not just with the latest scientific research and clinical guidelines but also be aware of health topic misinformation that is out in social media and the digital world,” he said.

What can PCPs do?

Stanford said that PCPs “are vital in combating medical misinformation,” especially that which spreads via social media. She said there are four steps they can take to help:

1. During consultations, provide evidence-based, accurate information to help patients make informed decisions for their health;
2. Help patients critically evaluate health claims and teach them to identify credible sources;
3. Use social media to counter misinformation with facts; and
4. Support public health initiatives and other efforts to improve awareness about “the importance of evidence-based health practices.”

“The critical takeaway for PCPs is the importance of proactively addressing misinformation and guiding patients toward evidence-based health decisions,” Stanford said. “They should aim to be a trusted source of information, helping patients navigate the complex landscape of health products and claims. By doing so, PCPs can protect public health and promote informed consumer choices.”

Mulugeta additionally noted that it is important for PCPs to discuss any over-the-counter medications and supplements patients may take along with their prescription medications.

“It also shows the need for more evidence-based and credible health information in the digital world,” he said. “It is also a reminder that physicians have a role to play in advocacy at all levels for patients to have access to safe and FDA-approved medications.”

Nosal also emphasized the importance of a strong relationship with a PCP who knows patients’ comprehensive health histories.

“PCPs need to really know that their patients want to take good care of themselves and are probably doing things without telling us to do that, and not because they’re trying to be deceitful — they think they're doing something really good for themselves,” she said.

When she was in medical school, Nosal was taught to ask patients if they are taking any herbs or supplements, but she said that is no longer an effective question.

“I need to say, ‘Are you putting anything on your skin, anything in your mouth, injecting anything into your body that is different from fresh fruits and vegetables and meats? Walk me through your day,’” she said. “That's how I found out things that I didn't get [before], because they're taking so much more than that and not identifying it as things that are potentially acting more like a medication, even though they're not marketed or regulated as such.”

References:

• Lemme GLP-1 daily capsules. Available at: https://lemmelive.com/products/lemme-glp-1?nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ag%3A19343348524%3A167414621213%3A713740806694&nb_adtype=&nb_kwd=lemme%20glp-1&nb_ti=kwd-2361987360919&nb_mi=&nb_pc=&nb_pi=&nb_ppi=&nb_placement=&nb_li_ms=&nb_lp_ms=&nb_fii=&nb_ap=&nb_mt=e&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwveK4BhD4ARIsAKy6pMKJuoXmbVMrnIltGKnx7lHVg9XDwU0EyIbK3Kh0enHtn_pcn-YJuN0aAhLYEALw_wcB. Accessed Oct. 28, 2024.
• Oatzempic. Available at: https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/nutrition-fitness/oatzempic-no-thats-not-a-typo/. Published April 23, 2024. Accessed Oct. 28, 2024.