Elon Musk says he uses Mounjaro in the latest weight loss endorsement

On By Littum

Upper line

Tesla CEO Elon Musk dubbed himself “Ozempic Santa” in an X post on Christmas Day, marking the tech billionaire’s latest show of support for weight-loss drugs as he pushes to make them more available to the general public.

Key facts

Musk posted a photo of himself dressed as Santa Claus without the holiday character’s traditionally stocky look, captioning the post “Ozempic Santa.”

Musk elaborated in a follow-up post that he technically uses the Eli Lilly weight-loss drug Mounjaro over Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, “but it doesn’t have the same ring.”

The post comes two weeks after Musk on X said “nothing would do more to improve the health, longevity and quality of life of Americans” than making glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1) drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro”super low cost to the public.“

GLP-1 drugs are considered prescription drugs and can cost Americans around $1,000 per month if they are uninsured.

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What is the difference between Mounjaro and Ozempic?

Mounjaro and Ozempic can both help with weight loss, but are specifically intended to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. But one study published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Internal Medicine found Mounjaro users achieved “significantly greater weight loss” than patients using Ozempic. Ozempic has a slight advantage in list price ($968) compared to Mounjaro ($1,069).

What other celebrities have used drugs for weight loss?

Celebrities who have publicly disclosed their use of weight loss drugs include Whoopi Goldberg, Charles Barkley, Oprah Winfrey and Tracy Morgan. Goldberg said in an interview with Kelly Clarkson this year that she lost almost the same weight two peopleand revealed that Mounjaro helped her lose weight.

Key

Although some GLP-1 drugs have built a reputation for their effectiveness in weight loss, research has also found that the drugs may provide other benefits, including treating alcohol addiction, cancer, Alzheimer’s and COVID-19. Research has also found that Ozempic can lower the risk of opioid overdose.

Key background

Musk’s push for affordable GLP-1 drugs comes as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have sought expanded coverage for weight-loss drugs. In June, the House Ways and Means Committee voted to lift a ban on weight loss products covered by Medicare for some patients. The committee was spurred by a bipartisan House effort that proposed expanded coverage for patients with a prescription for more than a year. President Joe Biden, who will soon concede his position to President Donald Trump, proposed Medicare and Medicaid coverage for weight loss drugs like Ozempic. The proposal would designate obesity as a drug-treatable disease, meaning Medicare could provide the drugs after historically being excluded from covering them under the Medicare Modernization Act. It is unclear how, or if, Trump would challenge the Biden policy if it is enacted next month.

Further reading

Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic would be covered by Medicare and Medicaid under the Biden plan (Forbes)

Ozempic, Wegovy Linked to Lower Hospitalizations in Alcohol Abusers, Research Programs (Forbes)