Robert Jenrick has admitted using Ozempic - but insisted he “didn’t enjoy it”.
The Tory leadership hopeful was commenting on rumours about his dramatic weight loss over the past year.
Jenrick, who quit as immigration minister last year claiming Rishi Sunak’s flagship Rwanda plan did not go far enough, told Politico that he “took Ozempic for a short period of time” as he tried to shed the pounds.
He said: “Didn’t particularly enjoy it, but it was helpful. Since then I’ve just lost weight in the normal way by eating less, eating more healthily, doing some exercise — going to the gym, going running. I’ve lost four stone in 12 months.”
Ozempic - also known as semaglutide - was originally used as a treatment for people with type 2 diabetes to manage blood sugar levels through a once-weekly injection pen.
But when it was noticed that one of its side-effects was weight loss, it became popular as a drug used by people on a diet.
In June, Diabetes UK warned of “intermittent supply and shortages” of Ozempic due to a surge in demand.
Among the celebrities who have admitted using Ozempic are Sharon Osbourne, Amy Schumer, Tracy Morgan and Billie Jean King.
However, its side-effects can include gastrointestinal complications, such as diarrhoea, vomiting, and nausea.
Jenrick is one of six Tory MPs vying to succeed Rishi Sunak as party leader. The others are Kemi Badenoch, Mel Stride, James Cleverly, Priti Patel and Tom Tugendhat.
Conservative deputy chairman Matt Vickers yesterday resigned his post to back Jenrick’s campaign.