Semaglutide, a diabetes and weight loss medication most commonly sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, is under review by the World Anti-Doping Organization (WADA).
WADA, which governs anti-doping policies for international sports organizations, added the popular drug to its Monitoring Program in 2024. The organization will continue to monitor Ozempic throughout 2025 to determine if it should be a banned substance.
Semaglutide was created a decade ago as a Type II Diabetes drug. It works to regulate blood sugar and increase insulin production in diabetes patients. It also significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular health events such as a stroke or a heart attack.
In the last couple of years, the drug has grown rapidly in popularity among non-diabetes patients as a weight loss drug. There have been reported market shortages of Ozempic due to the growth in popularity.
WADA will be judging semaglutide against their three-pronged banning test. Banned substances must meet at least two of the following three criteria:
Dr. Olivier Rabin, WADA's senior director of medicine and science, said that Ozempic could 'possibly' give advantages in swimming due to the improved weight-to-power ratio in swimming.
"It goes beyond a simple drug for obesity," Rabin said.