When TODAY.com asked doctors about Wegovy’s long-term use, some said they were comfortable prescribing Wegovy knowing a patient might take it for years, while others had major concerns. There are no long-term studies on Wegovy, and patients should be prepared to take Wegovy for years since there isn’t an antibiotic for weight”.
Wegovy
The demand quickly exceeded supply after the FDA approved once-weekly semaglutide injections. Semaglutide’s study results were enough to warrant plenty of hype for obesity treatment. The drug got a PR boost from Marc Andreessen, who called semaglutide a “silver bullet” and “miracle drug” for suppressing appetite. Unfortunately, the hype is going to exceed reality.
SUMMARY: Wegovy is selling so well that it’s hard to get at pharmacies. It’s being positioned as an anti-obesity drug, but one study by Novo Nordisk has shown that people who stop taking Wegovy after a few months tend to regain much of their lost weight within a year. In addition, people who lost weight on Wegovy in clinical trials had nutritional counseling and had to stay on a strict diet.
SUMMARY:
- According to the NEJM “in participants with overweight or obesity, 2.4 mg of semaglutide once weekly plus lifestyle intervention was associated with sustained, clinically relevant reduction in body weight”.
- In the clinical study, participants were enrolled in an “intensive” behavioral study with 8 weeks low-calorie diet.
- Yet the media has led with “diabetes drug leads to major weight loss”.
- Will doctors inform patients?
SUMMARY: The media headlines promise weight loss for diabetes patients, but Norvo’s new drug is in the same class as other drugs and carries many warnings. Can diabetes patients really stay adherent to a drug for 63 weeks in which 85% of patients report GI side effects and will insurance cover the cost?