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A drug that suppresses appetite has been described as a “game modifier” in the fight against obesity after research showed it can reduce body weight by up to 20%.
Study on the effects of semaglutide on obesity by a team at University College London (UCL) found that more than a third (35%) of people who took it lost more than a fifth of their weight total body.
Researchers say this means that for the first time, it is possible to achieve through medication what was previously possible only through weight loss surgery.
The negative health consequences of obesity have been highlighted even more COVID-19 crisis due to his effect on death rates.
Semaglutide works by hijacking the body’s appetite regulating system in the brain, reducing hunger and calorie intake.
The UCL randomized controlled trial involved 1961 overweight or obese adults (mean weight 105 kg / 16.5 stones, body mass index 38 kg / m2) and took place at 129 sites in 16 countries of Asia, Europe, North America and South America. .
The 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.
In those taking semaglutide, the average weight loss was 15.3 kg, with a reduction in BMI of 5.54.
The placebo group observed an average weight loss of 2.6 kg (0.4 stone) with a reduction in BMI of 0.92.
Publish the data in the new England Journal for Medicine, lead author Professor Rachel Batterham of the Center for Obesity Research at UCL 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 of 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.
Along with weight loss, the group taking semaglutide saw reduced risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, such as waist circumference, blood fat, blood sugar, and blood pressure, and reported improvements. of its overall quality of life.
Semaglutide is already clinically approved for use by patients with type 2 diabetes, albeit at lower doses than those used in the obesity trial.
Evidence from the study 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.
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