'Game changer' weight loss pill on the way as patients lose up to 15% body fat
A major development in weight loss drugs could soon be on the way, making consuming them easier than ever before.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions saw the results of two clinical trials presented where drug companies have attempted to develop a weight loss drug as a pill.
Currently, popular drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, made by Novo Nordisk and Mounjaro, produced by Eli Lilly, are given as weekly injections.
Dr Robert Gabbay, ADA's chief scientist, said that the drug coming in pill form would mean it would no longer be a "big deal" for people taking it and could be a "game changer."
"The nice thing about tablets is that virtually everyone is used to taking a tablet for something, even if it’s just a vitamin. It’s not a big deal," he said.
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Similar levels of weight loss from pills were observed in a clinical trial (Patrick Sison/AP/REX/Shutterstock)One person who has used the drug for weight loss has said they would not consider a switch to a pill instead of injections.
Paul Morer, 56, who works for a New Jersey hospital system, lost 85 pounds using Wegovy and hopes to lose 30 more. He said he would probably stick with the weekly injections, even if pills were available.
“I do it on Saturday morning. It’s part of my routine,” he said. “I don’t even feel the needle. It’s a non-issue."
Novo Nordisk has presented findings of an oral version of semaglitude, used in semaglitude drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
There is already an oral version of semaglitude produced by Novo Nordisk, known as Rybelsus, but this is a lower dosage.
Other weight-loss pills have been on the market, but none achieve the substantial reductions seen with injected drugs like Wegovy. People with obesity will be “thrilled” to have an oral option that's as effective, said Dr Katherine Saunders, clinical professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Health and co-founder of Intellihealth, a weight-loss centre.
“If you ask people a random question, ‘Would you rather take a pill or an injection?’ People overwhelmingly prefer a pill,” said Dr Daniel Bessesen, chief of endocrinology at Denver Health, who treats patients with obesity but was not involved in the new research.
Semaglitude is used to treat people with type 2 diabetes as it prompts the body to produce more insulin, reducing a person#'s blood sugar.
According to a study published in The Lancet, participants in a trial using semaglitude lost 14 per cent of their body weight over the course of 68 weeks.
Experts believe people would prefer to ingest the the drug orally (Florian Gaertner/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)Around 1,600 people who were overweight or obese and already being treated for Type 2 diabetes found the high-dose daily pills lowered blood sugar significantly better than the standard dose of Rybelsus. From a baseline weight of 212 pounds, the higher doses also resulted in weight loss of between 15 and 20 pounds, compared to about 10 pounds on the lower dose.
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This was a similar level of weight loss seen in Novo Nordisk's clinical trials of semaglitude when it was administered by injection.
Another 16-month study of more than 660 adults who had obesity or were overweight with at least one related disease - but not diabetes - found the 50-milligram daily pill helped people lose an average of about 15% of their body weight, or about 35 pounds, versus about 6 pounds with a dummy pill, or placebo.
Dr Mico Guevarra leads oral semaglitude research for the drug company and said the current goal is to "push for individualised treatment".
"It really depends on the patient’s goal, the clinician’s goal as well, and kind of meet that and have options as far as what they would like and what would be the best for them," she said to NBC.
Novo Nordisk officials said it’s too early to say what the cost of the firm's high-dose oral pills would be or how the company plans to guarantee adequate manufacturing capacity to meet demand. Despite surging popularity, injectable doses of Wegovy will be in short supply until at least September, company officials said.
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