{"id":929904,"date":"2026-10-12T06:10:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T06:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/929904\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T06:10:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T06:10:11","slug":"waitlist-for-weight-loss-pill-grows-as-australian-release-nears-but-millions-likely-to-miss-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/929904\/","title":{"rendered":"Waitlist for weight loss pill grows as Australian release nears – but millions likely to miss out"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia\u2019s weight loss industry is set for a major shake-up with an Ozempic<\/a>-style pill moving closer to approval, as more than 10,000 people sit on a waitlist for the treatment.<\/p>\n

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is currently working through the approval process for the pill, which has already been approved in the US and the UK.<\/p>\n

WATCH VIDEO ABOVE: Ozempic-style weight loss pill coming to Australia.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

If approved by the TGA, demand for weight loss<\/a> drugs is expected to surge more than 40 per cent, with users able to shed kilograms without needles and at a fraction of the cost.<\/p>\n

Dr Ginni Mansberg said the pill could arrive by Christmas, though sometime next year looks more likely.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s exactly the same as the injections, the only thing is you take a pill a day, which to some people feels less intense,\u201d Mansberg said on Sunrise<\/a> on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the United States<\/a>, where we have the most data because it\u2019s been available since February, 40 per cent of the people who start using these pills never ever took a jab but they\u2019re OK with a pill even though side effects<\/a> are the same and the results are not quite as good as the jabs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DrDr Ginni Mansberg said the weight-loss pill could arrive by Christmas. Credit: 7NEWS<\/p>\n

The treatment will cost around $5 per script for people with diabetes, but for most Australians it will cost the same as the injections; up to $600 a month depending on the dose.<\/p>\n

Users must follow strict guidelines, including not eating for eight hours before taking the pill and then waiting an hour afterwards.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t wake up and have a coffee with milk in it and then go, \u2018Oh, now I\u2019ll take my pill\u2019; it\u2019s now too late,\u201d Mansberg warned.<\/p>\n

Side effects are identical to the injections, with gut-related issues being the most common complaint.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe new pill offers an alternative to weekly injections of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Credit: AAP<\/p>\n

Patients can feel very sick and often lose their appetite for nutritious foods.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing that worries me with the patients that I see is they really don\u2019t feel like eating and what they do feel like eating is a slice of Vegemite toast or a cracker. But what they don\u2019t feel like eating is protein or a lot of fibre,\u201d Mansberg said.<\/p>\n

While patients are generally happy with their weight loss results, Mansberg warned of a significant drawback.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe data says if you stop it, the weight comes back on. So it\u2019s like Hotel California, you can\u2019t really check out any time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are committing to a lifetime of up to $600 a month. That\u2019s just not doable for a lot of Aussies.\u201d<\/p>\n

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