Upper East Side Moms Turn To Off-Brand Versions Of Weight Loss Drug Ozempic: NY Post

In a surprising trend, mothers from New York City’s affluent Upper East Side are resorting to questionable clinics to acquire off-brand versions of the weight loss injectable, Ozempic, The New York Post reports.

Ozempic and Wegovy, brand-name semaglutides initially designed for Type 2 diabetes, have seen a surge in demand due to their controversial effectiveness as weight loss drugs. Despite the FDA’s warnings against using off-brand semaglutide compounds due to potential “adverse effects,” a shortage of brand-name drugs and their hefty $1,300-a-month price tag is driving people to seek cheaper, more accessible options.

A 40-year-old fashion executive and mother of three, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed to NY Post she is currently taking off-brand semaglutide to lose excess baby weight. She referred to this as a “hush-hush” trend permeating her affluent Manhattan neighborhood. The trend seems to be driven by the visible weight loss results seen in others, despite the potential risks and societal judgment.

When her primary care doctor refused to prescribe her a brand-name injectable, she turned to Google and found Elite Health Center NYC. Despite her initial impression of the weight loss center as “super shady,” she felt reassured after a quick phone call with a doctor and received a prescription the same day.

Dr. Disha Narang, an endocrinologist and the director of Obesity Medicine at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital in Illinois, warned that compounded semaglutide is “not FDA approved and we don't have any data on long-term efficacy.”

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