Wegovy in a pill: Oral semaglutide pill may revolutionise weight loss treatment, offering an alternative to injectable diabetes drugs for needle-averse patients
In a major breakthrough for patients battling obesity, a potential game-changer in weight loss treatment is on the horizon. A daily semaglutide pill, akin to injectable drug Wegovy, has shown remarkable efficacy in a recent clinical trial, offering relief for many who are afraid of needles.
The oral version of injectable weight loss drug Wegovy may be released sometime this year as the producer of the drug, Novo Nordisk, plans to seek regulatory approval for the once-daily pill in the US and EU before the end of 2023, the company said in a statement last week.
This comes as the demand for the injectable drugs, meant for people suffering from type 2 diabetes, has skyrocketed as it has gone viral on TikTok over the past few months. This has led to a global shortage in the drug on multiple occasions; it is currently unavailable in most UAE pharmacies.
If approved, the daily pill would be a substitute for Wegovy, which is injected on a weekly basis.
Participants who took the pill in the Phase III clinical trial lost 15 percent of their body weight on average. The daily pill performed just as well as the injectable form of the drug.
“Oral semaglutide, like other GLP-1 receptor agonists, is primarily used in people with type 2 diabetes who have not achieved optimal diabetes control despite treatment with Metformin, nutritional therapy, and lifestyle changes,” said Dr Abu Baker Mohamed Elamin Ahmed, Consultant Endocrinology at Abu Dhabi’s Burjeel Medical City.
“Like other GLP-1 agonists, oral semaglutide can significantly improve blood glucose control in people with diabetes and lead to significant weight loss. Oral semaglutide is the preferred GLP-1 agonist for those with needle phobia, who need an improvement in diabetes control and or weight management.”
He also told Arabian Business that the pill may be appropriate to use in certain clinical settings and is probably a preferred option among patients with existing cardiovascular disease or those who are considering weight loss or avoiding hypoglycaemia – glucose deficiency in the bloodstream.
“If more weight loss is required, particularly in morbidly obese patients, I prefer using injectable preparations,” he said, because the dosage can be adjusted on the injections more effectively.
Side effects
Although the pill may be easier to take, it doesn’t come without its side effects. Like the injectable drugs, side effects include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, and in some cases, issues with bowel movements.
Side effects are less severe with the oral version, but it still comes with the risk of thyroid cancer.
“It has been reported that semaglutide can cause medullary thyroid cancer in laboratory animals, but it is not known if this medication increases the risk of tumour in humans,” Dr Ahmed said.
Other less proven side effects, according to viral TikTok videos, include “Ozempic face,” which refers to losing volume in the face due to rapid and drastic weight loss, causing the skin to sag.
Doctors told Arabian Business earlier this month that dermatological changes are common in weight loss patients as the structural integrity of the skin is affected during weight loss, affecting its overall elasticity, and can be unavoidable in many cases.
Signs of rapid ageing such as wrinkles, loose skin or a hollowed-out appearance may be seen in some people taking Ozempic. In addition, it increases their risk of lipodystrophy, a problem with how the body accumulates and stores fat.
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