Advocates Urge Subsidized Weight-Loss Drugs for Women With PMOS

PMOS, formerly known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, affects one in eight women. Symptoms can include irregular periods, excess hair growth on the body and face, weight gain and hair thinning. The lifelong condition has no cure and can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and endometrial cancer.

GLP-1 drugs, or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, are not specifically approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration to treat PMOS. The Guardian reported that patients are nonetheless being prescribed the medications off-label. A UNSW study in July estimated that half a million Australians use weight-loss medications regularly.

POSAA spokesperson Lorna Berry, who was diagnosed with PMOS at 32, said she would welcome subsidized GLP-1s for patients diagnosed with the condition, along with funding for evidence-based research. “It’s important for people to have access to medications, irrespective of where they live or where they were born … it’s really important that there’s equitable access,” she told The Guardian. Berry said some women with PMOS were already missing out because the medications can cost several hundred dollars each month.

Associate professor Magdalena Simonis, the women’s health spokesperson for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, said the college did not currently have a position on whether GLP-1s were appropriate for managing PMOS. “They’re not necessarily the only tool we have available to us, and that is important because long-term use is expensive, and it doesn’t look like these are going to be on the PBS anytime soon, and maybe not ever for conditions such as PMOS,” she said. “Because traditionally women’s conditions are not included in these changes.” Simonis, a GP with an expert interest in PMOS, said that if research found the weight-loss medications more effective than existing treatments, a broader discussion about health equity would be needed. She linked that to the wider conversation about obesity as a national issue.

Ozempic is listed by the PBS but only for diabetes. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee last November recommended Wegovy be subsidized for people with a body mass index above 35. The committee is due to meet next month to consider Novo Nordisk’s revised proposal to list Wegovy for obesity after protracted negotiations.

Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical company that produces both Ozempic and Wegovy, said it was continuing to work with the Department of Health. The two drugs contain the same active ingredient, semaglutide, but Wegovy has a higher dose. “Novo Nordisk is continuing to work constructively with the Department of Health to try to negotiate a solution for the PBS listing of Wegovy,” a company spokesperson said. “We remain committed to improving access for eligible Australians living with obesity.”

QENDO, an organization advocating for people affected by PMOS and other women’s health conditions, said it recognized “growing interest in GLP-1 medications for managing PMOS, particularly for people experiencing metabolic complications and challenges with weight management.” Acting chief executive Kate Fisher said further research was needed to establish their long-term effectiveness and safety specifically for PMOS.