The Food and Drug Administration has authorised Wegovy, a higher-dose model of Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug semaglutide, for long-term weight reduction and weight problems administration.
In company-funded research, contributors taking Wegovy had common weight lack of 15%, about 34 kilos. Participants misplaced weight steadily for 14 months earlier than plateauing. In a comparability group getting dummy pictures, the common weight reduction was about 2.5%, or simply below 6 kilos.
“With present medicine, you’re going to get possibly 5% to 10% weight discount, generally not even that,” mentioned Dr. Harold Bays, medical director of the Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center. Bays, who can also be the Obesity Medicine Association’s chief science officer, helped run research of the drug.
In the U.S., greater than 100 million adults — about 1 in 3 — are overweight.
Dropping even 5% of 1’s weight can carry well being advantages, resembling improved power, blood strain, blood sugar and levels of cholesterol, however that quantity usually doesn’t fulfill sufferers who’re targeted on weight reduction, Bays mentioned.
Bays mentioned Wegovy seems far safer than earlier weight problems medicine that “have gone down in flames” over security issues. Wegovy’s most typical negative effects had been gastrointestinal issues, together with nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Those normally subsided, however led about 5% of examine contributors to cease taking it.
The drug carries a possible danger for a sort of thyroid tumor, so it shouldn’t be taken by folks with a private or household historical past of sure thyroid and endocrine tumors. Wegovy additionally has a danger of despair and pancreas irritation.
Wegovy (pronounced wee-GOH’-vee) is a synthesized model of a intestine hormone that curbs urge for food. Patients inject it weekly below their pores and skin. Like different weight-loss medicine, it’s for use together with train, a nutritious diet and different steps like conserving a meals diary.
The Danish firm hasn’t disclosed Wegovy’s worth however mentioned it will likely be just like the value of its Saxenda, a weight reduction drug injected day by day that now usually prices greater than $1,300 per 30 days with out insurance coverage.
Dr. Archana Sadhu, head of the diabetes program at Houston Methodist Hospital, mentioned Wegovy’s usefulness “all is dependent upon what the value will likely be.” She famous sufferers’ medical insurance plans someday don’t cowl weight-loss therapies, placing costly medicine out of attain.
Sadhu, who has no connection to Novo Nordisk, plans to modify sufferers who’re overweight and have Type 2 diabetes to Wegovy. It makes sufferers really feel full sooner and will increase launch of insulin from the pancreas to regulate blood sugar, she mentioned. Patients would then be extra more likely to get motivated to train and eat more healthy, she added.
Wegovy builds on a pattern during which makers of comparatively new diabetes medicine check them to deal with different circumstances widespread in diabetics. For instance, fashionable diabetes medicine Jardiance and Novo Nordisk’s Victoza now have approvals for lowering danger of coronary heart assault, stroke and loss of life in coronary heart sufferers.
Phylander Pannell, 49, of Largo, Maryland, joined a affected person examine after cycles of shedding after which regaining weight. She mentioned she obtained Wegovy, labored out a number of occasions every week and misplaced 65 kilos over 16 months.
“It helped curb my urge for food and it helped me really feel full quicker,” mentioned Pannell. “It acquired me on the precise path.”
Shortly after she completed the examine and stopped receiving Wegovy, she regained about half the burden. She’s since misplaced a lot of that, began train lessons and acquired house train tools. She’s contemplating going again on Wegovy after it’s authorised.
Novo Nordisk is also creating a capsule model.
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