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Eli Lilly - maker of blockbuster weight loss drugs - urges stars to stop using them for 'vanity' reasons if they're not obese
The manufacturer of blockbuster weight loss drugs has urged Hollywood stars to stop hogging Ozempic and similar medications because of shortages.
In a bizarre 30-second advert on television, Eli Lilly — which makes weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound — urged those who are not fat to steer clear of the weight loss drugs.
It said they had only been tested and approved for people who were overweight or obese — who have a higher risk of other conditions like heart disease and cancer — or who have type two diabetes.
Blockbuster weight loss drugs — which cost about $950 a month out-of-pocket — have been in shortage for months amid surging demand. Estimates suggest up to nine million prescriptions for the drugs were written in the last three months of 2022.
The advert urged people who only want to lose a few pounds not to get a prescription for weight loss medications
Stars including Chelsea Hanlder, pictured above, have admitted to using the medications
The TV advert — dubbed 'Big Night' — begins by showing a sparkly dress being laid out on a bed, a red carpet and paparazzi.
It then cuts to show an overweight woman standing on the subway and clutching her handbag.
A caption reads: 'Some people have been using medicine never meant for them. For the smaller dress or tux. For a big night. For vanity.
'But that's not the point. People whose health is affected by obesity are the reason we work on these medications.'
Company executives say they are showing the advert in order to ensure their medications get to those who really need them.
The advert is being aired on US channels just before the 96th Academy Awards, or the Oscars, which is due to take place this Sunday in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Last year, the host Jimmy Kimmel joked about weight loss drugs saying: 'When I look around this room, I can't help but wonder — is Ozempic right for me?'
Others who said they used weight loss drugs include Elon Musk and Amy Schumer
In 2022, more than 5 million prescriptions for Ozempic, Mounjaro, Rybelsus, or Wegovy were written for weight management, compared with just over 230,000 in 2019. This marks an increase of more than 2,000 percent, according to market research firm Komodo Health
At the time, a slew of celebrities had revealed they were taking the drugs — which have remained in shortage — to help them shed a few pounds.
They included the comedian Chelsea Handler, who said she lost several pounds on Ozempic, and Elon Musk, who said he lost almost 30lbs while on the drug, and model Remi Bader.
Celebs to have revealed they have used Eli Lilly's Mounjaro include Rosie O'Donnell, who said she was 'very happy' with the results.
The number of prescriptions written for weight loss drugs in the US has surged more than 2,000 percent since 2019 — from 230,000 prescriptions in 2019.
Analysts predict the market for weight loss medications could hit a value of $80billion by 2030, compared to about $3billion in 2022.
In many cases, doctors have been prescribing the drugs 'off label' to people looking to lose weight but who are not obese or have type 2 diabetes — helping to fuel a shortage.
The advert also showed someone laying out a dress on a bed, likely ahead of an event
And it showed hordes of photographers at the event
Currently, the Food and Drug Administration lists four out of five available doses of Wegovy — which is approved to help patients with weight loss — as in shortage.
It also lists three out of six available injections for Mounjaro, which is approved for type 2 diabetics only, as in shortage.
It cites the reasons for these shortages as being a demand increase for the drug.
Eli Lilly's CEO David Ricks told CNN: 'We have a point of view about how these drugs are being used.
'These medications were invented for people with a serious health condition; they were not invented just to have someone who is famous look a little bit better.'
Ozempic and similar drugs have proved popular for their promise to help people lose pounds with nothing more than a weekly injection.
Studies showed patients on the drugs lost 15 percent of their body weight, or about 30lbs, over the course of 58 weeks.
But doctors are starting to warn that the drugs must be prescribed carefully and that, if managed incorrectly, patients can pile back on all the weight afterward.
The drugs work by mimicing a hunger hormone in the body, making someone feel full even if they haven't eaten recently.
But doctors warn patients do need to continue to eat a high protein diet in order to avoid losing more muscle than fat.
This can cause issues because, if they then shift back to their old diet, they will start to gain back more weight than they lost because they now have less muscle mass.