What do we know about Semaglutide, the wonder drug that makes you lose a lot of weight

For a couple of years, the active principle known as Semaglutideoriginally born as antidiabetic drug (commercial name Ozempic) but became famous all over the world for its significant effectiveness in weight loss. It is no coincidence that the pharmaceutical company that produces the molecule, the Danish multinational Novo Nordiskhas decided to develop another drug based on the same active ingredient – but with a higher dosage – specifically intended for treatment of obesity. Called Wegsthe new medicine was approved in June last year by the US Food And Drug Administration (FDA), thanks to the profile of safety e all’effectiveness demonstrated over the clinical trials. As told by the Guardian, Semaglutide is having so much success that it leads to shortages of supplies, even specifically for diabetics, given that Ozempic is often prescribed by doctors as off-label (off label) to allow patients to fight the extra pounds. In Australia the national health system has begun to recommend that doctors prescribe Ozempic only and exclusively to diabetics, precisely because of the extreme demand and the consequent shortage. But how exactly does Semaglutide work? And why is it so effective?

How Semaglutide works

As specified by the Mayo Clinic, Semaglutide is one of the antidiabetic drugs that improve blood glucose control. Technically it is “glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists” (GLP-1) and aim to imitate the action of a hormone, through which they are able to induce a sense of prolonged satiety. In simple terms, after eating, blood sugar levels rise rapidly and our bodies are stimulated to produce insulin, a hormone that tends to reduce them. By acting on GLP-1 receptors, the drug increases insulin production – which is known to be problematic in diabetics – and slows the passage of food from the stomach to the small intestine. The active ingredient thus promotes satiety and reduces hungercatalyzing the weight loss. According to the study “Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity” published in the authoritative scientific journal The New England Journal of Medicine, in 68 weeks the Semaglutide – administered with weekly injections by 2.4 milligrams – resulted in weight loss equal to or greater than 15 percent of body weight, with an average of over 15 kilograms lost. “No other drug has achieved this level of weight loss, this is really a game changer. For the first time, people will be able to achieve through drug treatment what was only possible through surgery, ”said Professor Rachel Batterham of University College London, co-author of the study. As explained by the Veronesi Foundation, Semaglutide in addition to stimulating the production of insulin through the pancreas, accelerating the metabolism of carbohydrates after meals, “It would act on the hypothalamic centers of hunger and satiety, with the result of helping people to eat less and reduce their caloric intake”. No wonder that it is considered a real “game changer” in the fight against weight problems and that the drug is literally flying off the shelves.

The side effects of Semaglutide

In clinical studies, the treatment was generally shown to be safe and well tolerated. It is no coincidence that it has been approved by major health authorities such as the FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The side effects The most common reported in the study participants published in the New England Journal of Medicine were related to the gastrointestinal tract, including nauseadiarrhea e He retched, all of which are mild or moderate. Despite the transience and non-severity of the symptoms, however, the 4.5 percent of the participants (59 people) were prompted to stop treatment, compared with only 5 in the placebo group. As reported by the Guardian, some people treated with the drug would have started to literally “hate” food. Among the rarer adverse reactions reported by the British newspaper there are also hair loss, stomach ache e swelling at the injection site. As reported by the FDA, on the package insert of the drug there are also warnings regarding rare and potential risks of “pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), diabetic retinopathy (damage to the retina of the eye), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), acute kidney injury and hypersensitivity reactions “. Animal studies have found an increased risk of thyroid cancer.