Treatment Likely to Improve Quality of Life in Patients With Obesity

With its cardioprotective properties and demonstrated superiority at reducing body weight compared with other diabetes medications, Wegovy (semaglutide) is likely to improve weight loss-related outcomes and quality of life in patients with obesity, according to findings from a literature review published online ahead of print in the Journal of Investigative Medicine.

“Because weight gain is associated with an increased risk of developing life-threatening comorbidities...there is great interest in developing non-invasive pharmacotherapeutics to help combat obesity,” wrote corresponding author Gurdeep Singh, MD, and colleagues from Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Binghamton, NY. “Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are a class of antidiabetic medications that have shown promise in encouraging glycemic control and promoting weight loss in patients with or without type 2 diabetes.”

The review covered three clinical trial programs of injected or oral semaglutide that led to the June 2021 approval of Wegovy: SUSTAIN (Semaglutide Unabated Sustainability in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes), PIONEER (Peptide Innovation for Early Diabetes Treatment), and STEP (Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with Obesity). SUSTAIN looked at subcutaneous, once-weekly semaglutide 1.0 mg, and PIONEER focused on oral once-weekly semaglutide 1.0 mg—both in patients with type 2 diabetes. STEP, meanwhile, focused on once-weekly, subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg in patients with obesity.

In the trials, semaglutide proved superior compared with placebo and other diabetes medications for weight reduction. It also lowered the rate of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke in patients with type 2 diabetes at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

While Wegovy shows promise for chronic weight management, its high cost combined with long-term use could prove an obstacle, the authors noted.

“A cost-effectiveness analysis of Wegovy will help clinicians decide if it should be preferred compared with other weight loss drugs,” they wrote. “However, a long list of insurance and prescription benefit plans can make it impossible to determine if the medication is covered, which can be another barrier.”

Reference:
Singh G, Krauthamer M, Bjalme-Evans M. Wegovy (semaglutide): a new weight loss drug for chronic weight management. J Investig Med. 2021 Oct 27;jim-2021-001952. doi:10.1136/jim-2021-001952