Volume : 12, Issue : 10, October – 2025
Title:
OZEMPIC: THE DOUBLE-EDGED DRUGS THERAPEUTIC PROMISES AND HIDDEN PERIL
Authors :
Renuka Gajanan Chawake*, Hrutik Kanhed , Dr. Swati P. Deshmukh
Abstract :
Recently, the FDA approved a family of medications called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists for the medical treatment of obesity.These medications are used to treat diabetes.Social media and celebrity influence have made it more common to use Ozempic (Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark), the brand name of the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide, off-label for cosmetic weight loss. The purpose of this study was to examine the recent search popularity of Ozempic and comparable GLP-1 agonists using Google Trends (Alphabet Inc., Mountain View, CA). Google Trends was used to examine the phrase “Ozempic.”Over a five-year period, search popularity was measured in terms of relative search volume (RSV). The changes in RSV were further contrasted with those of other GLP-1 agonists, such as “Mounjaro” (Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis) and “Wegovy” (Novo NordisK). Due to negative side effects experienced by both diabetic and non-diabetic individuals, the phrase “Ozempic face” has emerged on social media platforms as a result of the increased use of these medications. The phrase refers to severe weight loss that causes skin drooping and deformed facial anatomy outlines. Patient with concomitant conditions including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease may benefit from semaglutide, a glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist, which is prescribed for type 2 diabetes mellitus (Ozempic). Three adverse effects of GLP-1 agonists include weight loss, pancreatitis, nausea, and gastrointestinal distress.[1]
Keywords: Semaglutide , GLP-1 receptor agonist , Weight Management , Adverse Drug reaction
Cite This Article:
Please cite this article in press Renuka Gajanan Chawake et al., Ozempic :The Double Edged Drugs Therapeutic Promises And Hidden Peril, Indo Am. J. P. Sci, 2025; 12(10).
REFERENCES:
1. Stevens GA, Singh GM, Lu Y, Danaei G, Lin JK, Finucane MM, Bahalim AN, McIntire RK, Gutierrez HR, Cowan M, et al. National, regional, and global trends in adult overweight and obesity prevalences. Popul Health Metrics. 2012;10:22.
2. Vogel L. Overweight or overfat? Many Canadians are both. CMAJ. 2017;189:E1202–E1203.
3. Conte C. Complications of obesity. In: Luzi L, editor. Thyroid, Obesity and Metabolism. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2021. p. 95–116.
4. Suran M. As Ozempic’s popularity soars, here’s what to know about semaglutide and weight loss. JAMA. 2023;329(19):1627–1629.
5. Moyad MA. Embracing the pros and cons of the new weight loss medications (semaglutide, tirzepatide, etc.). Curr Urol Rep. 2023;24(11):515–525.
6. Mechanism of Action of Semaglutide. Current issues in molecular biology, 46(12), 14514–14541
7. Yang XD, Yang YY. Clinical pharmacokinetics of semaglutide: a systematic review. Drug design, development and therapy. 2024 Dec 31:2555-70.
8. Enebo, L.B., Berthelsen, K.K., Kankam, M., Lund, M.T., Rubino, D.M., Satylganova, A. and Lau, D.C., 2021. Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of concomitant administration of multiple doses of cagrilintide with semaglutide 2· 4 mg for weight management: a randomised, controlled, phase 1b trial. The Lancet, 397(10286), pp.1736-1748.
9. Mahapatra MK, Karuppasamy M, Sahoo BM. Semaglutide, a glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonist with cardiovascular benefits for management of type 2 diabetes. Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders. 2022 Jun;23(3):521-39.
10. Han, S. H., Safeek, R., Ockerman, K., Trieu, N., Mars, P., Klenke, A., Furnas, H., & Sorice-Virk, S. (2023). Public Interest in the Off-Label Use of Glucagon-like Peptide 1 Agonists (Ozempic) for Cosmetic Weight Loss: A Google Trends Analysis. Aesthetic surgery journal, 44(1), 60–67.
11. Yachida, S.; Jones, S.; Bozic, I.; Antal, T.; Leary, R.; Fu, B.; Kamiyama, M.; Hruban, R.H.; Eshleman, J.R.; Nowak, M.A.; et al. Distant Metastasis Occurs Late during the Genetic Evolution of Pancreatic Cancer. Nature 2010, 467, 1114–1117,
12. Mansour, M.R.; Hannawa, O.M.; Yaldo, M.M.; Nageeb, E.M.; Chaiyasate, K. The Rise of “Ozempic Face”: Analyzing Trends and Treatment Challenges Associated with Rapid Facial Weight Loss Induced by GLP-1 Agonists. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery 2024, 96, 225–227,
13. Schoonenboom, J.; Johnson, R.B. How to Construct a Mixed Methods Research Design. Köln. Z. Soziol. 2017, 69, 107–131
14. Popoviciu, M. S., Păduraru, L., Yahya, G., Metwally, K., & Cavalu, S. (2023). Emerging Role of GLP-1 Agonists in Obesity: A Comprehensive Review of Randomised Controlled Trials. International journal of molecular sciences, 24(13), 10449.
15. Tijerina JD, Morrison SD, Nolan IT, Parham MJ, Richardson MT, Nazerali R. Celebrity influence affecting public interest in plastic surgery procedures: Google Trends analysis. Aesthetic plastic surgery. 2019 Dec;43(6):1669-80.
16. .Pomeranz JL, Broad Leib EM, Mozaffarian D. Regulation of added substances in the food supply by the Food and Drug Administration Human Foods Program. American Journal of Public Health. 2024 Oct;114(10):1061-70.




