On June 4th the FDA announced that it approved Wegovy (semaglutid) injection for use by people with chronic weight issues and who are obese or overweight with a BMI over 27 with a correlated condition like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol or simply with a BMI over 30. In combination with eating better foods, taking in fewer calories and increasing your daily physical activity, people who took this injection during the trials saw an average weight loss of 12.4% off their initial body weight. For a person who weighs 250 pounds, that’s a 30 pound weight loss.
Wegovy is based off of an existing drug, Semaglutide sold under the brand name Ozempic, which was approved in 2017 and designed specifically for people suffering from type 2 diabetes. Ozempic was a 1 mg weekly injection whereas Wegovy will ultimately be a 2.4 mg weekly injection after a gradual step up in dosage amount over 20 weeks. Wegovy acts like a glucagon-like petide-1 (peptides are smaller proteins that help regulate activities in the body) that targets the brain and helps it regulate appetite and food intake. Basically it will tell your brain that you’re not hungry, which will naturally lead to weight loss. The FDA has not approved another drug designed to treat obesity since 2014 so this is a big deal.
Type 2 Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death (7th most deadly causes of death to be precise) in the U.S. and is considered an existential threat to humankind. The only cure to type 2 diabetes is to lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle. Wegovy could be a total game-changer for people fighting type 2 diabetes.
