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A new drug to treat obesity that could reduce body weight by up to 20% has been described as a “gamechanger” by researchers.
More than a third (35%) of people who took a new drug to treat the condition lost more than a fifth of their total body weight, according to a global study involving UCL researchers.
The results are hailed for their potential to improve the health of obese people.
They could play a major role in helping the UK reduce the impact of diseases, such as Covid-19, experts suggest.
Researchers claim that for the first time, it is possible to achieve with medication what was previously possible only with weight loss surgery.
The drug, semaglutide, works by hijacking the body’s appetite regulating system in the brain, reducing hunger and calorie intake.
Rachel Batterham, professor of obesity, diabetes, and endocrinology who heads the Center for Obesity Research at UCL and the UCLH Center for Weight Management, is a lead author of the article, which involved nearly 2000 people in 16 countries.
She said: “The results of this study represent a major breakthrough in improving the health of obese people.
“Three-quarters (75%) of people who received 2.4 mg semaglutide lost more than 10% of their body weight and more than a third lost more than 20%.
“No other drug has come close to producing this level of weight loss – it really is a game changer.
“For the first time, people can achieve with medication what was only possible with weight loss surgery.”
Professor Batterham added that the drug could have major implications for UK health policy for years to come.
The average trial participant lost 15.3 kg (nearly three stones), according to the study published in the New England Journal for Medicine.
This has been accompanied by a reduction in risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, such as waist circumference, blood fat, blood sugar, and blood pressure, and reported improvements in their overall quality of life.
The UK’s chief investigator for the trial, Professor John Wilding, University of Liverpool, said: “This is a significant breakthrough in the treatment of obesity.
“Semaglutide is already approved and used clinically at a lower dose for the treatment of diabetes, so as doctors we already know its use.”
With the evidence from this trial, semaglutide has been submitted for regulatory approval as a treatment for obesity to the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States.
The randomized controlled trial involved 1961 overweight or obese adults (mean weight 105 kg / 16.5 stone, body mass index 38 kg / m2) and took place at 129 sites in 16 countries in Asia, d ‘Europe, North America and South America. .
Participants took a dose of 2.4 mg of semaglutide or a corresponding placebo each week via an injection under the skin
Overall, 94.3% of participants completed the 68-week study, which began in fall 2018.
Participants also received one-on-one face-to-face or phone counseling sessions with registered dietitians every four weeks to help them adhere to the low-calorie diet and increase physical activity, providing counseling, behavioral strategies. and motivation.
Additionally, participants were given incentives such as kettle bells or food scales to mark progress and milestones.
In those taking semaglutide, the average weight loss was 15.3 kg, with a reduction in BMI of minus 5.54.
The placebo group observed an average weight loss of 2.6 kg (0.4 stone) with a reduction in BMI of minus 0.92.
Semaglutide is clinically approved for use in patients with type 2 diabetes, although it is generally prescribed in much lower doses of 1 mg.
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