A wide range of anti-obesity drugs continue to make headlines and dominate social media posts. There are many good reasons behind this, and not just the fact that the New Year increases our determination to get rid of excess weight.
Antiobesity drugs
The group of anti-obesity drugs – semaglutide (Wegovy), liraglutide (Saxenda) and tirzepatide (Zepbound) – are supported by scientific studies and astonishing testimonies from people who have lost up to 20% of their body weight.
Sure, that’s great, but there’s another side to the story; That’s because there are still big questions about these drugs, while some answers are complex.
• What are these drugs? In general, antiobesity drugs recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration belong to a class called “glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) receptor agonists.” These drugs mimic a hormone (glucagon-like peptide 1) that helps the body slow stomach emptying, control blood sugar levels, and suppress appetite, a combination that leads to weight loss.
One drug, Zibbond, mimics GLP-1, as well as a hormone called glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), which is thought to enhance the effects of GLP-1.
“Many say these anti-obesity drugs have changed their lives,” explained Dr. Carolyn Apovian, an obesity medicine specialist and director of the Center for Weight Management and Health at Harvard University’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
In addition to the above, these drugs significantly reduce the risk of heart-related death in overweight or obese people, as well as heart disease (or both heart disease and diabetes, depending on the drug). Furthermore, these drugs improve the ability to exercise and improve the quality of life. In this regard, Dr. Apovian said: “Drugs can also affect the reward center in the brain, the part that allows you to eat chocolate cake even if you feel full. “These drugs appear to dampen the reward response, which can also reduce addictive behaviors, such as cravings for alcohol, sugar and nicotine.”
• Aren’t these drugs for diabetes? It is worth noting here that the three anti-obesity drugs were initially approved by the Food and Drug Administration only for the treatment of diabetes, with the following trade names: “Ozempic,” “Victoza,” and “Mounjaro.”
However, people who took these drugs noticed that they lost a lot of body weight. Subsequent studies have indeed confirmed this effect. This eventually led the Food and Drug Administration to approve them as weight-loss drugs, under new brand names: “Wegovi,” “Saxenda,” and “Zibond.” When used to combat overweight or obesity, these drugs are usually prescribed in higher doses than their counterparts prescribed to treat diabetes.
There are other older GLP-1 drugs approved for treating diabetes, such as dulaglutide (Trulicity), but their effect on weight is less effective.
• How are these drugs administered? Most of these new drugs come in the form of injections that you give on a daily or weekly basis. It can be carried inside an injection pen, which you use to inject your body into the abdomen or thigh area.
It is also available in tablet form, such as semaglutide (Rybelsus). However, it should be noted that this drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in treating diabetes, but the administration has not yet approved it for weight loss.
Additionally, other tablet formulations are currently being tested.
side effects
• What are the side effects? Both antiobesity and antidiabetic formulas carry potential side effects. The most common symptoms include feeling tired, nausea, vomiting or constipation. Well, Dr. Apovian explained, these symptoms usually disappear within a few weeks.
In rare cases, the drugs can cause small bowel obstruction, stomach paralysis, or pancreatitis.
In this regard, Dr. Apovian stated: “As far as I know, the side effects do not last, but rather disappear if you stop taking the drugs, but the long-term effects of taking the new drugs are not yet known ”.
• Who is a candidate for taking these medications? These drugs are approved for weight loss only in people who have been diagnosed with obesity (BMI of 30 or more) or a higher level of overweight (BMI between 27 and 29.9), who have a problem doctor related to their excess weight, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. However, of course, that hasn’t stopped some people who don’t meet these criteria from taking it.
Because these drugs are new, powerful, and subject to extensive study, recommendations about who should use them are expected to change in the coming years. Researchers are likely to identify new categories of people who might benefit from these drugs or, conversely, people who might be at greater risk of being harmed by their side effects.
• How long should these drugs be taken? Taking one of the new GLP-1 drugs is not a short-term solution: once you start taking it, you must continue taking it indefinitely to ensure you continue to reap the benefits associated with the drug. It should be noted that if you stop taking these drugs, you will regain weight.
In this context, Dr. Apovian warned that: “Overweight and obesity, like diabetes and hypertension, are two serious conditions that often require ongoing treatment, which can extend throughout life. Here there are no treatments that are sufficient to take only once.
It helps slow the rate of stomach emptying, control blood sugar and suppress appetite
Costs and coverage
• How much do the drugs cost? Of course, amazing results don’t come cheap. The cost of the new drugs varies between approximately $900 and $1,600 per month. You shouldn’t wait for insurance to cover everything. For its part, the American “Medicare” program does not cover anti-obesity drugs, and coverage of diabetes drugs is partial at best, depending on your insurance plan.
On the other hand, private insurance will often pay for your diabetes medications, as long as you have tried other diabetes treatments without success. In this regard, Dr. Apovian explained that only about 20 to 30 percent of private insurance companies currently cover anti-obesity formulations.
Some manufacturers of GLP-1 drugs offer coupons with deep discounts, but many pharmacies do not accept them. You should be wary of discounted versions promoted in online advertising and elsewhere.
In this regard, Dr. Apovian warned that these compound drugs are imported from other countries, without the control of the Food and Drug Administration, and there is no guarantee of their contents.
• Are these drugs available? What makes matters worse is that the feverish rise in popularity of these drugs has led to a shortage of them today. Which makes it difficult to find. In this regard, Dr. Apovian said: “The shortage is due to the fact that manufacturers did not anticipate this level of demand,” adding that “over 40% of Americans suffer from obesity.” The drug companies did not predict how many people would want to use the drugs. “Companies are doing their best to provide adequate supplies as we speak.”
Until this goal can be achieved, and until more insurance companies cover drugs or manufacturers are forced to lower prices (both are being debated in Congress), many people with serious medical conditions will find themselves forced to give up the most effective anti-obesity drugs. drugs we have ever seen.
