In what the authors call a “game changer” in weight-reduction therapies, a major global study shows how an obesity drug can significantly cut body weight for many who take it.
Originally developed to treat diabetes, the drug works by taking control of the appetite regulation system, with a third of study recipients experiencing weight reduction of more than 20% with weekly injections and conventional weight reduction programs. of weight.
Semaglutide
The drug, called Semaglutide, is a clinically approved treatment for type 2 diabetes and mimics the chemical structure of a natural hormone called GLP-1. Weight reduction comes from the reduction of the feeling of hunger that starts from the hypothalamus brain region.
Phase I
A 2017 study on the potential of semaglutide as a weight-loss drug brought very promising results, with 28 clinically obese subjects showing a decrease in appetite and an average weight reduction of 5 kg (11 lbs) in 12 weeks.
Phase III
These investigations have now moved on to a phase III study, which involved nearly 2.000 overweight or obese adults from 129 locations in 16 different countries. Over a 68-week period, the subjects were injected weekly with semaglutide or a placebo and entered into weight reduction programs that included low-calorie diets, more physical activity, and consultations with dieticians.
Among those who received a placebo, the mean weight reduction across the study was 2,6 kg (5,7 pounds), with a reduction in body mass index (BMI) of 0,92. In the group treated with semaglutide, the average weight reduction was 15,3 kg (33,7 lbs) and the mean reduction in BMI was 5,54. This group also showed reduced risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, including blood sugar, blood pressure, and waist circumference.
Some people have experienced side effects such as nausea and diarrhea. The researchers describe them as “transient” and say they were generally resolved without removing those subjects from the study.
Semaglutide holds great promise for weight loss
“The results of this study represent an important step forward in improving the health of people with obesity.” To say it is Rachel Batterham from University College London, lead author of the paper.
Three quarters of the people who received semaglutide achieved weight loss of more than 10%. Over a third achieved weight loss greater than 20%. No other drug has come close to producing this level of weight reduction - this is truly a game changer. For the first time, people can achieve through drugs what was only possible through weight loss surgery.
Rachel Batterham, University College London
The findings saw semaglutide submitted to health authorities in Europe, the US and the UK. The goal of approval as a treatment for weight reduction and obesity.
This is a significant advance in the treatment of obesity
“This is a significant advance in the treatment of obesity,” says the professor John Wilding from the University of Liverpool. “Semaglutide is already approved and used clinically at a lower dose for the treatment of diabetes, we already know its use. For me, it's great to see it translated into an effective treatment for weight reduction in people with obesity."
The research was published in the New England Journal for Medicine.
