Ten Startling Discoveries About Ozempic

Ozempic is the new so-called miracle drug that, over the past few years, has taken the world by storm. The semaglutide meds are in high demand. The original use for the injection is to treat type 2 diabetes. But since people discovered it also helps them lose weight, everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Elon Musk has come out and urged their fans to get the jab.

The drug is now so popular that there have been global shortages and a large spate of knock-off copycat brands. From fears of stomach paralysis to claims it can reinvigorate your sex life, here are ten shocking discoveries about Ozempic.

Related: 10 Unbelievable Things Doctors Could Prescribe In Place Of Drugs

10 Students Work Out How to Grow It at Home using Plants

At some point soon, you could be growing weight loss meds from the comfort of your home. So say students at the University of Ottawa. In March 2025, the team announced they had devised a remarkable new way to produce drugs using plants.

The budding scientists developed a biopharming system they call Phytogene. It takes a plant and, in essence, turns it into a “machine” that can print copies of existing medication. The young researchers used Nicotiana benthamiana, a close relative of tobacco, to create GLP-1 receptor agonists. This is the class of drugs that includes the likes of Ozempic and Wegovy.

The students claim their innovative technique could help more people access the drug. It should also provide a more sustainable way to manufacture it. Student Victor Boddy explained, “Inspired by the recent Ozempic shortage, we built a proof-of-concept model system that expresses functional GLP-1 agonists in plants. We aim to create a future where people can reliably grow their own treatments at home, free from concerns about insurance, cost, or availability.”^[1]

9 Evidence Suggests It Could Recharge Your Sex Life

Taking Ozempic could give your love life a whole new whoosh of energy. Some say the drug has worked wonders on their libido. They say they have gone from feeling frisky maybe once a week to almost every day.

Researchers reckon this newfound passion could be linked to a range of factors. Obesity is known to take a toll on sexual health, so weight loss might cause a surge of desire. New body confidence, shifting hormone levels, and better sleep could all come into play as well. And some users have reported that Ozempic has harmed their sex life. A 2024 study found that overweight men have a slightly higher risk of erectile dysfunction from taking semaglutides.

For now, experts are unable to explain quite where the impact on libido comes from. More research is needed before they can untangle the complex web of human desire.^[2]

8 Study Finds Link to Rare Eye Condition

People typically take medication in the hope that it will improve their health. But all drugs have side effects, and Ozempic is no exception. In July 2024, semaglutides made headlines once again after scientists found links to a rare eye condition.

Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) only impacts 10 in every 100,000 people. However, it is a serious condition that causes sudden vision loss in one eye. As yet, there is no way of treating it. The study revealed that those taking the drug for type 2 diabetes were four times more likely to develop NAION. For those medicating for obesity, it rose to seven times more likely. Even with the heightened risk, the condition is still rare. Harvard experts found just 46 cases from a study of nearly 17,000 people.

Scientists found no evidence that Ozempic is directly responsible for sight loss. They say more research is needed before they explain the heightened risk. Drugmaker Novo Nordisk also pointed out that the study did not consider other factors, like whether the patients were smokers or if they were taking the medication as prescribed. Nonetheless, scientists agree that the issue calls for further study. More trials are now in progress.^[3]

7 Surge in People Taking It in Microdoses

Move over, LSD. A new form of microdosing is sweeping the nation. The term usually describes taking a small amount of psychedelics. But now, people are microdosing weight-loss drugs. Scientists say plenty of potential benefits exist, as long as it is done with the correct guidance.

There are many reasons why patients microdose Ozempic. They might have shed the pounds already and are now trying to keep their new weight. Maybe they only want to lose a small amount. Or perhaps they cannot afford the full dose.

“It’s basically a tailored approach to dosing Ozempic to meet the needs of the individual,” says Dr. Britta Reierson, an obesity medicine specialist. “Now, where we get concerned is when this is happening without any guidance from a medical professional.” Experts warn that adverse reactions are likely if users do not follow their doctors’ instructions. They also worry that microdose users are more likely to inject after the medication has expired.^[]4

6 Could It Help Reduce Alcohol Addiction?

Ozempic is in no way a miracle drug or a magical cure for all illnesses, despite what some TikTok influencers might claim. However, studies suggest that the drug holds uncharted benefits, like helping in the fight against addiction. Ozempic is prescribed to people who want to lose weight because it reduces their food cravings. But evidence is growing that the drug lowers not just the desire to eat, but to drink, take drugs, and other addictive behaviors too.

Research found that people with alcohol addiction who took the medication had a 50% lower drinking rate than those who did not. Those with opioid disorders were also 40% less likely to overdose.

Researcher Fares Qeadan told reporters, “While we hypothesized that these medications might impact cravings and reward-seeking behavior, the observed reduction in severe outcomes for individuals with opioid and alcohol use disorders suggests a broader, more protective effect than anticipated.”

Scientists are yet to work out exactly how Ozempic works. While they are hopeful it can one day help treat addiction, they say more studies are needed before it can be rolled out. Nonetheless, Qeadan explains that the study “provides an exciting direction for future research.”^[5]

5 Scientists Might Have Found a Natural Alternative

In May 2025, scientists revealed what they believe is a natural way to copy the effects of Ozempic. They claim their method could allow people to control their blood sugar levels and cravings without the need for the contentious jab.

A team at Jiangnan University in China tested their new process on diabetic mice. They found that treatment with certain microbes could alter the compound levels in the rodents’ guts. Phocaeicola vulgatus (formerly Bacteroides vulgatus) caused the creatures to produce more hormones, including GLP-1. GLP-1 helps control blood sugar levels and hunger.^[6]

4 It Could Be Linked to Severe Stomach Paralysis

Ozempic’s main side effects are the same as most drugs. Nausea, headaches, vomiting, and diarrhea. The usual suspects. However, scientists are more concerned about the growing evidence that suggests the jab could be linked to rare forms of illnesses, including stomach paralysis.

Ozempic is known to alter the behavior of the stomach. The drug causes the organ to empty more slowly, which means food stays in the stomach longer. This appears to be playing havoc with a few patients’ insides. A 2023 study at the University of British Columbia found that people taking semaglutide had a greater risk of affliction. Although still rare, they are more likely to be hit by conditions like pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, and stomach paralysis. This was from a sample of 16 million U.S. patients without diabetes from 2006 to 2020.

“Given the wide use of these drugs, these adverse events, although rare, must be considered by patients thinking about using them for weight loss,” explained Mohit Sodhi, an expert in experimental medicine.^[7]

3 The Death of the Body Positivity Movement

Ozempic has killed body positivity. So say plus-size models who claim the interest in curvy women is drying up, and they are struggling to find work. Curve model and activist Felicity Hayward reckons the wave broke sometime around 2023. “Ozempic arrived into our industry, and there was a definite change,” she told reporters.

People in the industry say the rise in the drug’s popularity, coupled with shifting trends and the return of ’90s “heroin chic,” has undone what they say are positive changes over the last ten years. Others believe that fatphobia never actually vanished. They say the whole movement was a fad that some brands only got behind while it was popular.

“I think you’re seeing the separation between people that were doing it because there was a movement at the time,” says Skye Standley, who has previously modeled for Dolce & Gabbana and Rihanna’s Fenty brand, “and the people who are truly passionate about it.”^[8]

2 Prices in the U.S. are Sky-High Compared to the Rest of the World

It is hardly a shocking new truth that the U.S. healthcare market is more hungry for profit than any other country. Nonetheless, Ozempic brings home just how wildly prices can vary around the globe. In 2024, Novo Nordisk, the firm behind the drug, had to answer tough questions on its prices from the U.S. Senate HELP Committee.

The diabetes and weight-loss drug sells for around $969 in the States. In Canada, it costs $155, while in France and Germany, it costs $71 and $59, respectively. “The vast majority of the American people are sick and tired of paying outrageously high prices for prescription drugs,” Senator Bernie Sanders told Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, the CEO of Novo Nordisk.

Sanders explained that, of the company’s $50 billion sales, 72% came from the U.S. He also said he had conversed with other drug makers, who told him they could produce a generic alternative for under $100 a month. Jørgensen replied that, if Ozempic is covered by health insurance, it can cost as little as $25.^[9]

1 WHO Sends Out Global Alert over Counterfeits

In June 2024, the number of dodgy Ozempic fakes going around reached such a critical level that the World Health Organisation had to step in. The UN agency issued a global alert. They say the counterfeits are a danger to people’s health and should not be bought from unknown websites or on social media. Instead, they say that, like doctors, patients should only procure drugs from secure sources.

Medical experts first came across Ozempic knock-offs in 2022, and the WHO has been tracking the issue ever since. Authorities in the UK, the U.S., and Brazil have all been forced to step in to take counterfeit drugs out of circulation. Many of the jabs do not contain the medication that they claim to, which can cause all kinds of unwanted impacts if taken.

WHO Assistant Director General Dr Yukiko Nakatani recommends that “healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities and the public be aware of these falsified batches of medicines.”^[10]