| Weight Loss and Diabetic Drugs; Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro
Demand for Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro and taken off since the first two were FDA approved in 2021 and Mounjaro in 2022. Ozempic and Mounjaro are approved for adult-onset type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for obesity. In fact, the supply hasn’t always kept up with the demand.
The main ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy is the same, known as semaglutide. It mimics the effects of a naturally occurring gut hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 or GLP-1. This attaches to receptors in the pancreas to make more insulin, the liver to reduce making too much sugar, the brain by suppressing appetite, the stomach by slowing down motility and making you feel fuller quicker.
Mounjaro does the same but also promotes a second gut hormone known as glucose-dependent inslinotropic polypepetide, or GIP. This enhances these effects to treat diabetes and obesity. The main ingredient in Mounjaro is tirzepatide.
(Did You Know? These three drugs are injected weekly. There is promise of oral medications in the future.)
Wegovy is approved for weight management in those with a body-mass index of at least 30 or a 5-foot, 9-inch man who weighs at least 203 pounds. Wegovy helped people lose up to about 17% of their body weight on average and Mounjaro, 22.5%
A recently completed 5-year study of Wegovy has found a 20% reduction in heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths. This may help solidify insurance coverage which is currently spotty for weight loss. These drugs are expensive ranging from $935 for an Ozempic pen that lasts a month to $1,349 per 28-day supply of Wegovy pens.
The side effects are mostly gastrointestinal such as nausea, vomiting, and constipation. Slowy introducing these drugs may help and many patients just become accustomed to the drugs. There are also risks of pancreatitis and should not be given to anyone who had medullary thyroid cancer. There are other affects but have not been completely linked to these drugs.
The biggest negative is that these drugs probably need to be maintained to keep their affects. Many people have regained substantial weight after they stopped using these. However, patients may be able to reduce the amounts taken once goal weight has been achieved.
– Peter Loftus and David Wainer, WSJ |
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