- A company-sponsored study indicated the drug semaglutide used to treat type 2 diabetes might be effective for weight loss.
- Researchers say semaglutide reduces appetite and energy intake.
- Another similar drug, liraglutide, was approved by federal regulators 3 years ago as a treatment for weight loss.
The drug semaglutide is used to treat type 2 diabetes by regulating how the pancreas releases insulin.
However, the drug, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Rybelsus, also may have potential as a weight-control aid because it appears to reduce appetite, craving for food, and energy intake.
That’s according to a new study from pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, that was presented at the May 2021 European Congress on Obesity.
Novo Nordisk is applying for approval of semaglutide for the treatment of obesity in the United States and Europe. A phase 3 clinical trial for a semaglutide drug delivered orally for the treatment of obesity was announced in April 2021.
Semaglutide is in a class of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists. In the new study, a research team led by Dr. Dorthe Skovgaard, Novo Nordisk’s senior international medical manager, studied how the drug affected gastric emptying, energy intake, appetite, and control of eating among study subjects with obesity.
“GLP-1s are known to affect body weight by decreasing energy intake, increasing feelings of satiety and fullness, and decreasing hunger,” Skovgaard told Healthline. “So, the mechanism of action of semaglutide held great potential for a treatment of obesity. In addition, several clinical trials with people with type 2 diabetes had demonstrated the weight loss benefits of semaglutide.”
Source: healthline