As the ‘Hollywood’ weight loss drug that’s now licensed for use in the UK, you may have heard a lot of noise about Wegovy recently. But varying reports and online gossip can leave you with more questions than answers. So, what exactly is Wegovy? How does it work? What is the science and data behind it?
Wegovy is a medical treatment that is licensed for weight loss. The drug itself is a clear and colourless solution which comes in a pre-filled injector pen and is meant to be taken once a week. Wegovy is a prescription-only treatment and should be used as part of a weight-loss programme, with the oversight of a doctor, nurse or qualified pharmacist. The molecule that Wegovy is made of is called semaglutide, and it is also used to treat Type 2 Diabetes under the brand name Ozempic.
So how does Wegovy work in the body? It is a GLP-1 RA, which stands for Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist. Wegovy is 94% similar to the GLP-1 that our bodies naturally produce, which is a hormone associated with hunger, appetite and food cravings. The exact way hormones work in our body is highly complex, but it is believed that GLP-1 targets areas of the brain that control hunger and food cravings. This means Wegovy works in a similar way to this hormone, targeting our brain to help increase the feeling of satisfaction after eating and to reduce hunger and cravings for sweet and high-fat food.
Like any licensed medicine, Wegovy has had to undergo multiple studies and clinical trials before it became available for use. In studies, people taking Wegovy as part of a weight management programme lost significantly more weight than those doing the weight management programme only. In one randomised and double-blind study (meaning neither the participants nor the trial researchers knew who had Wegovy and who had placebo, to help eliminate any bias), Wegovy was shown to help people lose on average 12% more of their body weight as part of a weight-loss programme, compared with a placebo treatment.
Wegovy is designed to treat people who are overweight or obese. While BMI is not a perfect way to measure how much fat someone is carrying, it is a helpful guide. Wegovy is licensed to treat adults who have a BMI of 27 or over, and are therefore classed as overweight or obese. To be classed as obese, your BMI would be 30 or above. Obesity is a complex issue that requires holistic treatment looking at diet, lifestyle, mindset and exercise, as well as treatment options such as Wegovy. This is why Wegovy should not be seen as a ‘miracle drug’ for weight loss, but a prescription medicine to be used as part of a weight management programme, with the guidance of a healthcare professional.
Wegovy has already been available in the US for some time and is now licensed for use in the UK. This means the strict safety and quality standards that allow a drug to receive a licence have been met. In the UK, licences are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). In addition to this, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended Wegovy should be available for some people via the NHS. Wegovy now has a UK licence and is available here at your local pharmacy.
There are several options for treating people who are overweight or obese. Like Wegovy, there are other treatments that work to reduce appetite and food cravings, including a daily injection called Saxenda and a pill called Mysimba. Weight loss surgeries, such as a gastric band or bypass, are also designed to help people feel full from eating less food. Another option is orlistat, a pill that works to stop fat being digested.
All these weight loss approaches require adjustments to diet and lifestyle to be successful and are not designed to be used alone. This is where local pharmacy can play an essential role, as they are able to provide prescription only treatments as part of a weight management programme and offer ongoing support. If you’re interested in learning more about the science and clinical data behind treatments like Wegovy, they can discuss this with you too.
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