Belgium Considers Temporary Ban on Ozempic for Obesity Treatment, Restricting Use to Diabetic Patients Amid Supply Shortages

It was reported that Belgian Health Minister Franck Vandenbroucke stated that, due to the currentNovo NordiskDue to the shortage of Ozempic supplied by Novo Nordisk (NVO.US), Belgium is considering a temporary ban on the use of Ozempic for treating obesity to reserve the drug for diabetic patients.

Vandenbroucke pointed out: "We told doctors that they must reserve this drug for patients with type 2 diabetes, but we found that this strategy did not work." He also stated that he knows this drug is also effective for people with morbid obesity, so there needs to be a discussion about it. However, simple recommendations are not enough; a strong legal signal needs to be sent.

The government plans to meet with the country's drug supply task force tomorrow to further discuss the matter. The potential ban could last for weeks or months, depending on the manufacturing capacity and supply situation of the drug.

If finalized, this European country will become the latest to restrict the supply of this popular weight-loss drug. In July this year, the UK implemented a similar ban on the use of Ozempic for non-Type 2 diabetes patients. This move highlights global concerns about the availability of such drugs, especially as their use for weight-loss treatment becomes increasingly popular.

Editor: Guo Mingyu