Semaglutide Variants For Weightloss – The New Game Changer
The Weight Loss Game Changer
The gym business is about to crash as a new weight-loss game changer has arrived.
Imagine losing weight just by popping a pill! This kind of weight loss journey would have been the most traveled path. But is it possible?
Truth be told, If obesity were a metric of progress, India would have been the third most progressive country in the world. Sadly, it is not. And that means India is a land of foodies where 70% of the urban population is obese. And we can’t blame Zomato or Swiggy. Now, how do we overcome this challenge? How is biotech and pharma helping in this regard?
Fourteen years ago, a drug called liraglutide was launched on the market. It was sold under the trade names Victoza and Saxenda. Recently, the patents for this drug expired. So, other companies are trying to manufacture a ‘generic’ version of the same drug. This can be sold for lower prices, which are estimated to be around $400 per month.
Its newest cousin is semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy), originally developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. These drugs fall in a class known as GLP-1 mimetics, which works essentially by mimicking a natural hormone in the body known as GLP-1 that helps regulate the blood sugar after we eat.
How does it Reduce hunger?
Liraglutide is known to reduce hunger by influencing brain areas involved with both hunger regulation and metabolism. Even though the drug was initially used to treat diabetes, researchers were surprised when they understood that it also decreased the desire to eat. Thus resulting in significant weight loss. With this invention, a stronger version of the drug was launched and marketed exclusively as an anti-obesity drug under the brand name Saxenda.
How many kgs can you reduce?
It was estimated that one could lose around 10%t of the body weight with Saxenda and 15% with Semaglutide(Wegovy). And with one newer drug named Tirzepatide ( Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss), one could lose weight upto 25%.
After effects of medication:
However, after completing these medications, they usually gain back the weight that has been lost. This proves that the medications do not permanently change the body’s natural weight regulation.
Dose and frequency of the drugs:
Liraglutide requires a daily injection. Semaglutide and tirzepatide are less frequently injected, for example, once a week. However, semaglutide will not have an affordable generic version until at least 2033.
Side effects:
These drugs, like any other drug on the market, may cause side effects. The main side effects are in the stomach region of the body. This could include nausea, vomiting, constipation, etc. They also may cause reactions at the injection site and have been associated with rare cases of thyroid disease and pancreatitis. And it is not clear that these can be attributed to GLP-1-mimicking drugs.
However, in animals, the drug is shown to reduce the growth of embryos. This is the reason why the drugs are strictly avoided in pregnant women.
Who can use this drug?
These anti-obesity drugs are prescribed in addition to diet and exercise for obese patients. They are, at present very costly since they are not part of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme of Australia. But it is thought to be less expensive in the future.
Everything comes with a price, and one should choose one’s battles wisely! We all know that medicines have both beneficial and harmful sides. It would just be easier if one understood the overall mechanism of action.
Semaglutide Variants For Weightloss – The New Game Changer
