Episode Details

Wegovy, the blockbuster weight-loss drug, is now available in Singapore more than two years after it was approved by the Health Sciences Authority.

Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.

Wegovy's arrival here sparks a deeper conversation about who should take it, how it makes us rethink obesity and weight loss, and whether weight-loss drugs are a magic bullet.

Earlier in July, pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy, announced in a statement that the injectable drug is now available with prescription from any licensed physician at hospitals and clinics across Singapore.

The global hype around Wegovy, which is made for weight loss, stemmed from Ozempic, which was created as an anti-diabetic drug.

The latter garnered a lot of attention on social media a few years ago after its users, who weren’t all diabetics, showed off their considerable weight loss.

What connects Wegovy and Ozempic – besides both being made by Novo Nordisk – is that they contain the active ingredient semaglutide.

Mimicking the natural hormone glucagon-like peptide-1, semaglutide regulates blood sugar levels, curbs the appetite and induces the sensation of fullness.

One of the differences? Wegovy has a maximum dosage of 2.4mg, while Ozempic has a maximum dosage of either 1mg or 2mg depending on the country. In Singapore, Ozempic's maximum dosage is capped at 1mg based on HSA's approved label. 

While the benefits have been laid out, what should those considering Wegovy look out for?

To answer these questions on this episode of The Usual Place, I have:

• Senior consultant endocrinologist Dr Sue-Anne Toh from Novi Health, a specialist medical clinic and health-tech company. She has more than 20 years of experience in internal medicine, diabetes, and metabolic health.

• Her patient Farhan Hanis, a 26-year-old university student and a former plus-sized model. He started on Wegovy about two months ago.

• General practitioner Dr Bosty Chan, who co-founded health telemedicine providers Sire and Dame, which offers weight management as part of a suite of services.

Highlights (click/tap above):

4:13 Gamechanger to the weight  loss market in Singapore? How do these options compare with surgically invasive options?

16:15 Dr Toh on why some cannot lose weight easily; how GLP-1 hormones work

39:50 Managing costs of such GLP-1 medication

45:00 Dr Chan on whether weight-loss drugs are supposed to be for the long term

1:00:17 Should Singapore redefine obesity markers for the population? 

Host: Natasha Ann Zach