The FDA has approved an obesity treatment that helps some people lose 15% of their weightExBulletin

This image, provided by Novo Nordisk, shows a package of the company’s semaglutide drug named Wegovy. On Friday, the FDA said this new version of the popular diabetes drug could be marketed as a weight loss drug.

Christian Miheira / AP

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Christian Miheira / AP

This image, provided by Novo Nordisk, shows a package of the company’s semaglutide drug named Wegovy. On Friday, the FDA said this new version of the popular diabetes drug could be marketed as a weight loss drug.

Christian Miheira / AP

Regulators on Friday said a new version of a popular diabetes drug could be marketed as a weight loss drug in the United States

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Wegovy, a high-dose version of Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug semaglutide, for long-term weight management.

In a company-funded study, participants who took Wegovy lost an average of 15% and about 34 pounds (15.3 kilograms). Participants lost weight steadily for 16 months before reaching a plateau. In the comparison group that took dummy shots, the average weight loss was about 2.5%, or less than 6 pounds.

“Existing drugs probably give you 5% to 10% weight loss, but sometimes they don’t,” said Dr. Harold Bayes, director of medical care at the Louisville Center for Metabolism and Atherosclerosis. I am. Bayes, who is also the Chief Scientific Officer of the Obesity Medical Association, helped conduct research on this drug.

In the United States, more than 100 million adults (about 1 in 3) are obese.

Losing 5% of weight can provide health benefits such as improved energy, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, but for patients who value weight loss, that amount is often unsatisfactory, Bayes said. Says.

According to Bayes, Wegovy looks much safer than previous “burning” obesity treatments over safety issues. The most common side effects of Wegovy were gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. They usually subsided, but about 5% of study participants stopped taking them.

This drug has a potential risk of a type of thyroid tumor and should not be taken by anyone with a personal or family history of a particular thyroid and endocrine tumor. Wegovy also has a risk of depression and inflammation of the pancreas.

Wegovy (pronounced wee-GOH’-vee) is a synthetic version of the gastrointestinal hormone that suppresses appetite. Patients inject it under the skin every week. Like any weight loss drug, use it with other steps such as exercising, eating a healthy diet, and keeping a diet diary.

The Danish company hasn’t disclosed the price of Wegovy, but said it would be close to the price of Saxenda. Saxenda is an 11-year-old weight loss drug that is injected daily and currently costs more than $ 1,300 per month, usually without insurance.

Dr. Archana Sudhu, Head of Diabetes Program at the Houston Methodist Hospital, states that Wegovy’s usefulness “is all about price.” She pointed out that the patient’s health insurance plan may not cover weight loss treatment and expensive medications are out of reach.

Unrelated to Novo Nordisk, Sudu plans to switch to Wegovy for obese and type 2 diabetic patients. She says the patient feels more full and the pancreas releases more insulin to control blood sugar levels, which will motivate the patient to exercise and eat healthier. Let’s add, she added.

Wegovy is based on the tendency of relatively new diabetics manufacturers to test them to treat other conditions commonly found in diabetics. For example, the popular diabetes medications Jardiance and Novo Nordisk’s Victoza have been approved to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death in heart disease patients.

Phylander Pannell, 49, from Largo, Maryland, participated in a patient study after losing weight and then returning. She received Wegovy and exercised several times a week, losing 65 pounds in 16 months.

“I have less appetite and a faster feeling of fullness,” says Pannell. “It led me on the right path.”

Shortly after she finished her study and stopped taking Wegovy, her weight returned to about half. Since then, she lost much of it, started an exercise class, and bought exercise equipment at home. She is considering returning to Wegovy after being approved.

Novo Nordisk is also developing a pill version.