Novo Nordisk’s newest injectable drug Semaglutide (Wegovy) is now approved as a treatment option for obesity.
It was previously approved and marketed (at lower doses) as Ozempic in 2019 for diabetes. Novo Nordisk is the same company that offers Saxenda (liraglutide).

The CDC states 42.4% of all adults in the U.S. suffer from obesity, defined as having a body mass index at or above 30. A 2019 study in the New England journal of medicine predicts that 1 in 2 adults will be obese by 2030.

This could be a step forward in fighting obesity because of the modality. According to Dr. Anastassios G. Pittas, chief of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Tufts Medical Center, “Semaglutide is a paradigm shift from other obesity medications, because it targets the gut as opposed to the brain."

(Sounds familiar?)

As with all new treatments the hurdles to access includes: steep price tags, insurance approvals, imbalanced clinical trail demographics, medical gatekeepers and lack of long term outcomes.

sources:

https://www.novonordisk-us.com/products/chronic-weight-management.html

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMsa1909301

https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/novo-nordisk-s-semaglutide-snags-hotly-anticipated-greenlight-obesity

https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/Health/newly-approved-drug-heralded-game-changer-growing-national/story%3fid=78065574

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/novo-nordisk-semaglutide-gets-us-fda-approval-obesity-treatment-2021-06-04/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.detroitnews.com/amp/7549263002

Edited June 5, 20215 yr by GreenTealael

I took Ozempic for diabetes prior to surgery and was not able to lose any weight. ??‍♀️

I took Saxenda and only lost a couple of pounds but I would be willing to try this when it becomes available - if my insurance covers it. I think anyone that has more than 50lbs to lose would still be better off with surgery. I technically need to lose 75lbs to be normal BMI but would be comfortable with only losing 30-40lbs.

1 hour ago, Greendragonfly said:

I took Ozempic for diabetes prior to surgery and was not able to lose any weight. ??‍♀️

Ozempic is not generally used for weightloss probably because the dose is too low to be effective.
Did it control your diabetes prior to surgery?

47 minutes ago, floridagirl23 said:

I took Saxenda and only lost a couple of pounds but I would be willing to try this when it becomes available - if my insurance covers it. I think anyone that has more than 50lbs to lose would still be better off with surgery. I technically need to lose 75lbs to be normal BMI but would be comfortable with only losing 30-40lbs.

According to the fact sheet and studies, Wegovy is designed to be taken indefinitely. If you discontinue use weight regain occurs.

Surgery is probably more cost effective at this point but perhaps this is useful for someone who cannot have WLS or is trying to fight regain.

Edited June 5, 20215 yr by GreenTealael

36 minutes ago, GreenTealael said:

Ozempic is not generally used for weightloss probably because the dose is too low to be effective.
Did it control your diabetes prior to surgery?

It did control my diabetes very well and I think it is an excellent drug for diabetics. The cost will likely be prohibitive for weight loss. Even with insurance it cost me a lot of money.

I tried Saxenda, and it made me very nauseous (it felt like being newly pregnant), so while I did lose a little weight, it was b/c I felt too nauseated to eat. Wonder if this drug will be the same?

I've also done Phentermine, Xenical, and Vyvanse ,plus a bunch of OTC stuff. I was always willing to try anything! LOL!! So glad that WLS was the tool that finally worked for me!

On 6/5/2021 at 3:40 PM, Greendragonfly said:

The cost will likely be prohibitive for weight loss. Even with insurance it cost me a lot of money.

This is probably spot on