Drugs that have been promised to help people lose weight have been checked in the past, such as the infamous Fenfen, which withdrew from the market in 1997 following reports of heart valve damage. But now, the pipeline of pharmaceutical companies is full of new molecules aimed at helping people safely lose excess weight. Chemistry & Engineering News, An independent news agency of the American Chemical Society.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 42% of American adults are clinically considered obese because they have an obesity index of 30 or higher. Heavier weight increases the risk of other health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Because of these risks and the tendency of people to lose weight and recover throughout their lives, many doctors consider it a chronic condition called obesity rather than the behavioral problems seen in the past. And the C & EN reporter wrote Mega Satyan Arayana. However, recent findings show that 29% of people with fat are otherwise metabolically healthy, and it is stigmatized to call the normal state of many people ill. Some people wonder if this is the case.
An army of people who want to lose weight for health or aesthetic reasons promises great financial benefits to pharmaceutical companies that can bring safe and effective weight loss drugs to market. However, the pesky history of this area has raised the regulatory standards of the US Food and Drug Administration.
Currently, new drugs not only show that someone can maintain a 5-10% loss of body weight at the start for a year, but also need long-term studies to prove that they are safe.
Novo Nordisk’s popular new weight loss drug, Wegoby (semaglutide), which mimics hormones that help regulate glucose, has caused an average weight loss of 15% when combined with lifestyle counseling, while weight loss of 2.5% with placebo and counseling. was. In addition, since 2017, different formulations of Wegovy’s active compounds have been safely used in the treatment of diabetes.
Pharmaceutical companies are exploring other molecules that regulate hormone receptors involved in appetite and energy expenditure. If these drugs are prescribed to treat chronic illness, many people need to continue taking the drug for the rest of their lives to maintain their weight loss, and for drugs similar to Wegoby, long-term. To deal with side effects of nausea, vomiting, and constipation. On the other hand, some say it is too expensive to pay for the flimsy attachment of society.
The article “New Weight Loss Drugs Can Change Scales” is available here for free.
