- The FDA has approved the medication Wegovy, a higher dose of the diabetes drug semaglutide, to be used as a weight management drug in patients with obesity.
- In clinical trials, participants without diabetes who took Wegovy lost an average of 12.4 percent of their initial body weight.
- The drug is a synthetic version of a gut hormone that suppresses hunger and appetite.
A diabetes drug has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to also be used as a weight-loss medication in patients with obesity.
The medication, Wegovy, is a higher dose of the diabetes drug semaglutide produced by Novo Nordisk.
It’s the first drug for chronic weight management that has been approved by the FDA since 2014.
Wegovy, administered via a once-weekly injection, is indicated for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg/m2 or higher and who have at least one weight-related medical condition such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. The medication is also for people who have a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or higher.
In the United States, approximately 1 in 3 adults — over 100 million people — have obesity. Treating obesity can improve blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.
“Today’s approval offers adults with obesity or overweight a beneficial new treatment option to incorporate into a weight management program,” Dr. John Sharretts, the deputy director of the Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders, and Obesity in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in
Source: healthline