[News Today] Clinics overprescribing Wegovy

[LEAD]
The weight-loss drug Wegovy is now being used far beyond its intended medical purposes.

Part of a larger diet fad, it's being prescribed to people who don't qualify, sometimes in high doses from the start.

We investigated the growing cosmetic misuse and its potential side effects.

[REPORT]
This clinic in Seoul is famous for prescribing the weight-loss drug Wegovy.

A reporter, whose body mass index is normal at 21, requested that the drug be prescribed to her.

Doctor/ (VOICE MODIFIED)
There are five stages. Stage 3 is probably okay for you.

At a nearby clinic, the reporter requested the highest dose.

Doctor/ (VOICE MODIFIED)
You're responsible for the side effects. Also, keep in mind that acute pancreatitis can be life-threatening.

Wegovy is normally prescribed to highly obese patients whose BMI exceeds 30 or those who have a BMI of 27 or above as well as high blood pressure or other diseases.

The dose must be increased gradually over five stages.

Prof. Cho Young-min / Seoul Nat‘l University Hospital
It's a highly potent drug. The initial dose should be very low and increased slowly. Jumping straight to the highest dose could send someone to the ER.

Sohn Ah-jin ended up in an ER after she received a high dose of Wegovy from the start.

Sohn Ah-jin / Wegovy user
I kept vomiting every 30 minutes to an hour. When I had nothing else to vomit, I threw up my gastric juice.

The clinic even suggested that the drug be administered in portions.

One vial of Wegovy contains four weeks' worth of medicine that can be administered once a week.

The clinic suggested that the patient be prescribed a high dose that would be injected over a course of two or three months in portions.

But the recommended usage period after opening is just six weeks.

Prof. Oh Sang-woo / Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital
That's dangerous. After six weeks, the drug begins to degrade. Using it beyond that is like taking a compromised drug.

With a teenage version of Wegovy set to launch, stricter control is needed as it’s increasingly used like a miracle weight-loss drug.