Everyone Is Talking About These New Weight Loss Drugs, Here’s What You Need to Know

For the latest highly effective options for weight management, you don’t have to tell your doctor twice to run instead of walk. If you’re struggling to lose weight and your BMI is in the overweight or above range, these new options are touted as game-changers, offering clinical results comparable to bariatric surgery.

“This new class of drug is more powerful than anything we’ve seen before,” says New York endocrinologist Judith Korner, M.D. From once-a-week injections once used for diabetes management to expanding tablets taken just before meals, these are the new things everyone is talking about and rushing to doctors and telemedicine providers to get a prescription. It is a drug that makes you feel full faster.

new hope

First, it’s important to note that one-third of US adults, or 36.5%, are considered obese, yet only about 2% are receiving treatment. “Even in the medical field, there is a great deal of stigma around weight loss and weight loss-related drugs. explains his Neha Shah, MD, an expert in “Weight control was only added as medical coding and diagnostics around 2003, so it’s outdated and obesity is really a lifelong concern.” Past drugs, such as stimulants, either didn’t work in the long term or did more harm than good, he said. “The advances in obesity medicine over the past five to ten years have really made it clear that these GLP-1 class of drugs, which are used to treat type 2 diabetes, are now also used for weight loss. You can see it.”

So what do these drugs do and how do they help?

Ozempic / Wegovy (semaglutide)

Both drugs contain semaglutide, but are licensed to treat two different conditions. Ozempic was created to treat his type 2 diabetes and Wegovy is for weight management. Both are given as weekly injections in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm and have some unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, and pancreatic inflammation. “Semaglutide has been around for several years,” says Dr. Korner. “It mimics the hormone our body makes when it senses there is food in the gut and helps the pancreas make insulin when glucose levels are high. Initially, it was used to treat type 2 diabetes. It was later discovered that this hormone also slows gastrointestinal motility, creates satiety, and acts on the appetite center in the brain to reduce hunger.”
Eligible BMI: 30 or greater; or adults with a BMI greater than 27 and at least one weight-related health condition
Expected result: “In trials, 50% of people treated with semaglutide lost at least 15% of their body weight,” says Dr. Korner.

Munjaro (tirzepatide)

Mounjaro, who received FDA approval for type 2 diabetes this spring, is also on the cusp of approval for weight management. This weekly injectable treatment features tirzepatide, which works like semaglutide in that it stimulates insulin release, lowers blood sugar, and mimics the hormone that tells your brain that you’re full. It comes with a long list of side effects, including diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, indigestion, and abdominal pain. It is said that
Eligible BMI: Munjaro has been prescribed “off label” by doctors, but is not yet approved for weight management. His BMI of 30 or above may be requested by a doctor. Or at 27 and at least he has one weight-related health condition.
Expected result: According to a study published in New England Journal of Medicine, participants lost an average of 52 pounds per person. “The weight loss achieved in clinical studies averaged over 20 percent of his total body weight, which is sometimes comparable to that seen with bariatric surgery,” says Dr. Shah.

abundance (cellulose and citric acid)

FDA cleared as a medical device, this twice-daily tablet is made from naturally occurring modified cellulose and citric acid. “It’s a really cool concept,” says Dr. Shah. “Citric acid and cellulose are a type of fibrous matrix that, when added with water about 30 minutes before a meal, swells to about 100 times their size, giving him the effect of eating two extra servings of food at lunch. imitate ‘and dinner. ” Side effects include diarrhea, bloating, infrequent bowel movements, and flatulence.
Eligible BMI: 25 years old or older
Expected result: In one clinical study, 6 out of 10 people lost at least 5% of their body weight. “The average weight loss was 10% for him,” says Dr. Korner.

Cons

The biggest drawbacks of these drugs are possible side effects and cost. “The GLP-1 receptor carries a risk of thyroid tumors and pancreatitis, so patients with a family history of these concerns should be careful. increase.”

As far as costs are concerned, the price of these medicines can be expensive if not covered by insurance (over $1000 per month for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro) and many insurance companies offer weight loss diagnosis and management services. , does not keep up with recognizing or including management. and treatment. In the meantime, manufacturers are offering patients commercial insurance savings cards or coupons that bring the monthly cost down to $25 a month for the time being, regardless of insurance coverage. “We don’t know what will happen next year when these cards expire,” Dr. Shah says, but the temporary costs for underserved patients who have struggled with weight for the rest of their lives may not be covered. Savings will help you get the help you need. for now.