When the weight loss injections Wegovy and Ozempic came onto the market, they caused a real hype. Finally, the medication with the active ingredient semaglutide promises a weight reduction of 15 percent within 18 months. Now another “fat removal injection” is in the starting blocks. It could even surpass Wegovy and Ozempic in terms of effectiveness.
New drug VK2735 could help you lose weight even faster
We’re talking about VK2735 – a drug from the US manufacturer Viking Therapeutics, which is currently still in the development phase and has just been tested in a phase 2 study. In the course of this, 140 overweight or obese test subjects injected themselves with the drug once a week over a period of 13 weeks. 34 study participants took a placebo during this time. At the beginning of the week, the biotech company published the first study results:
Accordingly, test subjects who received the highest dose of VK2735, 15 milligrams, lost 14.7 percent of their body weight. That corresponded to around 14.6 kilograms. With the lowest dose (2.5 milligrams), the study participants lost 9.1 percent of their weight, i.e. around 9.2 kilograms. The placebo test subjects, on the other hand, only reduced their weight by 1.7 percent and thus 1.8 kilograms.
Thus, subjects treated with VK2735 lost weight five times faster than Wegovy and Ozempic patients.
In addition, the study participants were apparently able to maintain their weight. Additionally, according to Viking Therapeutics, there is evidence that VK2735 patients may lose even more weight over time. Side effects experienced during the study were mild to moderate and included diarrhea, nausea, constipation and vomiting.
Five times faster weight loss than Ozempic and Wegovy
VK2735 is a dual hormone antagonist that works partially like semaglutide. It mimics the intestinal hormone GLP-1, which controls blood sugar levels and suppresses appetite. VK2735 also acts on the intestinal hormone GIP, which releases insulin after eating. As the biotech company reports, new studies have shown that the simultaneous activation of GLP-1 and GIP is more effective in helping you lose weight.
On the way to approval, the drug must undergo further studies with larger numbers of test subjects. “It is more than likely that a Phase 2b will be the next step, but we will have a better idea after we speak with the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration). ) have spoken and received some guidelines,” says Brian Lian, CEO of Viking Therapeutics, to “ Fierce Biotech .”
Long-term effects of weight loss injections are still unclear
It is not yet possible to make any statements about how weight loss injections will affect the body in the long term. The “fat removal injections” have not been on the market long enough for this.
In the short term, however, the medication can cause side effects in the gastrointestinal tract such as nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. “More serious is the rare risk of pancreatitis. Immediate consultation with a doctor is important here. That’s why the weight loss injection can only be used under medical supervision,” says sports doctor Matthias Marquardt in an interview with FOCUS online. In addition, the medication must be taken permanently. Otherwise the weight will increase again. A change in diet and sufficient exercise are also advisable alongside the use of weight loss injections.