At the same time, B12 is a good example of why biohacking should stay grounded
Semaglutide is the active ingredient in FDA-approved products for diabetes and chronic weight management
Efficacy and safety of once-weekly semaglutide monotherapy versus placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN 1): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multinational, multicentre phase 3a trial
patients seeking cross-border GLP-1 access found (Kesselheim et al., JAMA Health Forum, 2024): 23% attempted to order from a Canadian online pharmacy (87% of orders were either seized at customs, never delivered, or delivered a product that was clearly counterfeit) 12% traveled to a border city and attempted to fill a prescription (91% were turned away because they lacked a valid Canadian prescription) 8% used a "facilitator" service claiming to connect them with Canadian prescribers (62% received no product, 31% received a product of uncertain origin, 7% received what appeared to be legitimate medication) The risk-benefit calculus is unfavorable
In clinical trials, which compared people randomly assigned to the active drug or a placebo, participants receiving semaglutide or tirzepatide lost 15% to 20% of their body weight on average