00:00So in response to what it describes as an increasing public health challenge, the World
00:07Health Organization has issued guidelines for the use of these GLP-1 based drugs like
00:12Azempic for people with obesity. GLP-1 type drugs have been heralded as a breakthrough
00:18class of medication. They mimic a hormone naturally produced which slows digestion and
00:25makes people feel fuller for longer. They were originally used to treat people with type
00:292 diabetes and they're still used for that but increasingly they're being used to help
00:34people with weight loss. Now under these guidelines released by the World Health Organization,
00:40they recommend using these GLP-1 based drugs long term for weight management for people
00:46with obesity alongside behavioural therapies like diet, exercise and also regular counselling
00:53sessions. But they do note that the high costs of these medications and also supply chain
00:58issues have become a barrier to universal access and they say that even if production was rapidly
01:04expanded, projections estimate that fewer than 10% of people who could benefit from these drugs
01:10will actually get them by 2030. So the World Health Organization issued a call to its 194 member
01:18states including Australia to do more to make these drugs more accessible and to make obesity treatment
01:25more accessible and affordable. But this comes Steph after the National Medicines Regulator issued a new
01:31safety warning about these drugs. That's right. These guidelines were released just hours after the
01:36Therapeutic Goods Administration issued a safety alert saying it would update product information about
01:43the potential risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviour on these drugs. Now the Therapeutic Goods Administration
01:49stressed there wasn't enough evidence to suggest these drugs cause suicidal thoughts or behaviour but it did
01:56say that anybody on these drugs experiencing new or worsening depression or suicidal thoughts or behaviour
02:02should immediately contact their doctor. Now having these two reports could be confusing for some people
02:09and so doctors are really stressing that these medications overwhelmingly benefit people who use
02:15them, that they can be really helpful in managing things like type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease
02:22as an example and they say that like all medication these medications should be used with doctor
02:27oversight and doctors can help guide patients, guide them through any potential risks and side effects
02:33that they're experiencing and so their message is very clear that like all medications anyone on
02:39these medications should be using them with a doctor's guidance and that doctor can help them manage any potential side effects.
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