Weight-loss drugs lower BMI in obese teens, study finds

Semaglutide — blockbuster anti-obesity drug Wegs — In addition, the lifestyle intervention “significantly reduced” the body mass index of obese teens after more than a year of weekly treatment, researchers reported Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Did.

Wegovy is currently available in the US by prescription only for adults. This new study looked at whether it works for adolescents.

NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar said:

The study enrolled 201 obese participants aged 12 to 17 years in the United States and other countries who were randomly assigned to receive either weekly injections of semaglutide or placebo. was given. The drug dose was the same as the dose approved for adults.

Both groups also received a lifestyle intervention consisting of nutrition and physical activity counseling for weight loss before and during the study.

After 16 months of this routine, teenagers in the semaglutide group lost an average of about 15% of their body weight, or about 34 pounds, while children in the control group gained about 5 pounds.

“Not only have they lost weight, but their waist circumference has improved and their cholesterol has improved,” Hazard said. It was one of the first studies to look at how well people were doing, and “it improved dramatically,” she says. “Having extra weight can have a significant impact on their social development.”

The study was funded by Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical giant that manufactures Wegovy.

Emmalea Zummo, 17, from Janet, Pennsylvania, was one of the teens enrolled in the study who received semaglutide. Her weight initially weighed her 250 pounds, her weight gain associated with polycystic ovary syndrome, but she lost over 70 pounds during the trial.

“I feel better in my own skin than I have ever felt before.” she told NBC News.

The safety profile of semaglutide in obese teens in the trial was consistent with that seen in adults, the researchers wrote. The drug “did not appear to affect growth or pubertal development,” they noted.

“There are no developmental problems, but any drug has side effects. The main side effects of this class of drugs are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea,” said the scientific director of the Pediatric Research Center for Obesity and Metabolism at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Dr. Silva Arslanian, , told TODAY. She is a co-author of the study.

“None of our participants had an academic interruption. Of course, it’s very individual.”

Nearly two-thirds (62%) of teens taking semaglutide experienced gastrointestinal adverse events compared to 42% of teens taking placebo.

Semaglutide belongs to a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists and works by mimicking the natural hormones that the body releases when a person ingests food. This hormone targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake. Researchers believe its action in the brain helps people feel full faster, so they eat less than they normally would.

According to Arslanian, it is more effective for weight loss in obese teens than lifestyle interventions alone for several reasons, including the fact that hunger and satiety are driven by the central nervous system.

Also, “We live in an obese environment where it’s not so easy to implement healthy lifestyle choices… (and) healthy daily physical activity is replaced by calorie-burning screen activity.” It’s been replaced,” she pointed out.

The teenager had no problem self-injecting drugs.

The drug is expensive, about $1,300 a month, and anti-obesity drugs are often not covered by health insurance. Patients have to keep taking it for it to work. Otherwise, you can regain the weight you lost.

When asked if he had any concerns about young patients starting the drug early in life and taking it indefinitely, Arslanian said: I am confident that with further scientific advances, we will find a solution. ”

Semaglutide has been in the news a lot lately. is also an active ingredient in Ozempic, a prescription drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and a sister drug to Wegovy. Although Ozempic is not approved for weight loss, many people who do not have diabetes are in the habit of taking approved medications for unapproved uses and find it successful in weight loss.

Demand for both drugs is impacting nutritionly. The US Food and Drug Administration lists Wegovy and Ozempic as “currently in short supply.” on that website.