Products marketed as ‘oral Wegovy’ in Korea are ‘100% scams,’ warns doctor

Endocrinologist Woo Chang-yoon, who runs the YouTube channel “Doctor Friends,” warns about weight-loss products being promoted as "oral Wegovy." (Screenshot from YouTube channel New Women)

Weight loss supplements currently promoted as "oral Wegoby" are 100 percent scams, a Korean doctor warned on YouTube, alarming consumers with misleading advertisements amid growing interest in obesity treatments.

Woo Chang-yoon, an endocrinologist who co-runs the popular medical YouTube channel “Doctor Friends” with 1.42 million subscribers, made the remarks during an episode of “New Women,” released Tuesday on YouTube, where he discussed widely used weight-loss drugs including Wegovy and Mounjaro.

“An oral form of Wegovy was approved in the United States in January, but it has not been approved in Korea,” Woo said. “All products being sold in Korea as ‘oral Wegovy’ are 100 percent scams. Some even contain ingredients that make no sense. Consumers should be cautious.”

Wegovy, developed by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, contains semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist originally developed to treat diabetes by stimulating insulin secretion and controlling blood sugar levels. The drug was later found to be effective for weight loss and is now prescribed for chronic weight management in adults with obesity.

Unlike tablets, Wegovy is administered as a once-weekly injection under the skin. In clinical trials, patients lost an average of about 15 percent of their body weight.

Woo said the drugs can be effective but cautioned that they require careful medical supervision.

“These medications significantly alter metabolism,” he said. “Patients need proper dietary guidance, including adequate protein and fat intake. In the US, physicians are required to provide such education when prescribing the drug, but that is not always happening properly in Korea.”

He also warned of potential misuse and complications.

“Some people overconsume carbohydrates, while others lose their sense of thirst and fail to drink enough water,” he said. “Severe dehydration can lead to (kidney failure requiring) dialysis. In extreme cases, there have been instances of vision problems.”

Common side effects of GLP-1 drugs include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation. More serious but rare complications may include gallstones, pancreatitis, hypoglycemia and dehydration.