The revolution of weight loss drugs indicated for people with obesity They are a reality. After Saxendathe first marketed in Spain, arrives this May Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4mg)a medicine that shares the same active ingredient as the famous Ozempic.
As he explained to laSexta.com the Dr. Andreea Ciudin Mihai, member of SEEDO in this article on Ozempic, both medications share the same active ingredient (semaglutide) but have different indications and doses. Both medications consist of one subcutaneous injection per week.
- Semaglutide 1mg/week marketed under the name of Ozempic, It is used to treat type 2 diabetes and is marketed under the name and also for obese people who have type 2 diabetes, that is, who have both or only type 2 diabetes.
- Semaglutide 2.4mg/week It is marketed under the name Weygovy It is used to treat obesity in adults only.
The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) has announced that from May 1 the anti-obesity drug, Weygovy, will be available, a medicine that is already in operation in the US and whose indications are:
- For people with a body mass index (BMI) above 30 and for people who have a BMI above 27 with comorbidities such as hypertension, sleep apnea, hypercholesterolemia, etc.
As explained in SMC Spain, Dr. Josefa García Barradoprofessor of Pharmacology and researcher in the Neuroendocrinology and Obesity group at the University of Salamanca, “in reality Wegovy is the same as Ozempic, the active ingredient is the same (semaglutide), and it is also marketed by the same company. “It is not new, only the therapeutic indications are expanded in Spain.”
“Given the lack of truly useful pharmacological strategies for the treatment of obesity – adds this specialist – “semaglutide 2.4 mg (that is, Wegovy) has represented a significant improvement as an aid for these patients, but always under medical prescription. Pharmacological treatment is useless without the complement of a balanced diet, physical exercise and health supervision. “The miracle drug that makes you lose weight without any effort on the part of the user does not exist.”
GLP-1 analogue drugs
In this way and as explained on the official website of AEMPS, GLP-1 analogue medications such as these, such as Saxenda or Wegovi, “are authorized to improve glycemic control in the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) not sufficiently controlled with diet and exercise.”
These drugs are indicated, explains the AEMPS, in monotherapy, – when metformin is not considered appropriate due to intolerance or contraindication – or in association with other medications used in the treatment of diabetes. Additionally, some GLP-1 analogues are also approved for weight management in certain situations.
“Until now, only Saxenda was authorized for the indication of weight control but recently several presentations of a new drug, Wegovy, have been authorized, which is expected to be marketed from May 2024. In both cases, the indication for weight control is always in combination with a healthy nutrition and increased physical activity“, as the agency concludes.
In fact, and as the SEEDO professionals“the approach to obesity must always be comprehensive, that is, it is not only enough to take the drug and that’s it, but there must also be – and very important – changes in lifestyle in terms of diet and physical exercise” .
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