In June 2021, the Meals & Drug Administration authorised Wegovy (generic identify: Semaglutide) for persistent weight administration—making it the simplest treatment of its type to hit the market in many years. Administered utilizing a easy pen that injects the treatment beneath the pores and skin, Wegovy mimics the hormone referred to as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is a substance that impacts the areas of the mind that assist regulate meals consumption and urge for food.
Since its approval, nevertheless, getting Wegovy into the palms of sufferers has been extraordinarily troublesome each right here at True You Weight Loss and throughout the nation. This is because of a mixture of things together with manufacturing points and an extremely excessive demand for the treatment.
“In our apply alone, we’ve a whole lot of sufferers ready to start out taking Wegovy,” explains Dr. Christopher McGowan, Founder and Medical Director of True You Weight Loss. “Many different sufferers have needed to both cease taking the treatment, swap doses, or transfer to interim therapies amidst the scarcity. This treatment is a particularly efficient software within the struggle in opposition to weight problems. Because of this, the shortages have had an actual and lasting influence on our sufferers, so we’re very desperate to see a decision within the coming months.”
Is the Wegovy Scarcity Lastly Ending?
Thankfully, as of at this time (December 28, 2022) Wegovy producer Novo Nordisk has confirmed that every one dose strengths of Wegovy at the moment are accessible to retail pharmacies nationwide—giving many sufferers hope of lastly having access to the treatment in 2023. The producer warned that pharmacies might expertise regular delays “given the time required to order the product from their native distribution heart, and geographical variabilities.”
“Based mostly on current communication with our Novo Nordisk gross sales consultant as of simply this month, we’ve each motive to hope that we’ll be capable to resume our complete True You Rx program for sufferers who’re eligible for Wegovy in early 2023,” explains Dr. McGowan.
It’s essential to notice that Wegovy is meant to be taken indefinitely, just like different medicines for persistent well being situations similar to excessive ldl cholesterol or diabetes. Dr. McGowan and his group remind sufferers that in scientific trials, sufferers who stopped taking Wegovy typically regained most or all the weight that had been misplaced.
“As weight problems medication physicians, accessing these efficient medicines is extremely essential in serving to our sufferers enhance their well being and high quality of life. I’m thrilled to see the medical neighborhood lastly begin acknowledging weight problems as a persistent illness, slightly than an issue of alternative or willpower.”
Whereas it’s troublesome to know when the treatment will grow to be extensively accessible at retail pharmacies, we’re hopeful that we are able to start prescribing Wegovy once more by January 2023 for eligible sufferers.
What’s Wegovy?
Wegovy is identical treatment as a beforehand authorised antidiabetic drug referred to as Ozempic. Nevertheless, Wegovy is indicated and prescribed particularly for weight administration. However, solely sufferers with diabetes can or might be prescribed Ozempic. Each medicine have a number of key capabilities:
- improves the secretion of insulin by the pancreas
- encourages smaller meal measurement and extends a sense of fullness as a result of abdomen emptying extra slowly
- reduces blood sugar by limiting glucose manufacturing within the liver
- slows down intestinal motility
- reduces starvation via results on the urge for food facilities within the mind
Due to the potential for gastrointestinal unwanted side effects, the dose is elevated steadily over a interval of 16 to twenty weeks to a full dose of two.4 mg as soon as per week. Wegovy isn’t meant to be mixed with different weight reduction medicines or different merchandise that include semaglutide.
Who’s Eligible for Wegovy?
Wegovy is meant for overweight or obese sufferers who’ve a BMI of 30 or greater—or a BMI of 27 or greater with an extra obesity-related well being downside (similar to kind 2 diabetes, hypertension, or excessive ldl cholesterol).
Widespread Facet Results of Wegovy
The extended dosage enhance and the usage of subcutaneous injection are geared toward serving to the physique slowly alter to the treatment, however there are some attainable unwanted side effects. The influence on bowel motility particularly can have hostile results on the gastrointestinal tract; nausea, vomiting, belly ache, diarrhea, constipation, or indigestion are among the extra widespread unwanted side effects. Folks with kind 2 diabetes might even expertise hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) as a result of drug’s impact on insulin manufacturing.
How A lot Weight Do Sufferers Lose on Wegovy?
In one of the profitable trials, contributors had a median preliminary physique weight of 231 kilos and a BMI of 38. Individuals who obtained Wegovy misplaced a median of 14.9% of their preliminary physique weight (a lack of about 33 kilos) throughout the 68-week trial. Those that obtained a placebo misplaced solely 2.4% of their physique weight. Resulting from its influence on each weight reduction and blood sugar management, Wegovy can also be nonetheless particularly efficient for individuals with kind 2 diabetes.
About True You Rx
True You Weight Loss recommends shedding pounds with Wegovy as a part of a complete weight administration program to incorporate a bodily health routine, dietary help, and wholesome consuming habits. Our True You Rx program begins with an preliminary treatment session to evaluation your medical historical past, focus on your weight reduction objectives, and decide if Wegovy is an acceptable therapy for you, together with an preliminary vitamin session. If authorised, you’ll meet with a well being coach on a month-to-month foundation, and can obtain ongoing treatment help out of your doctor. Your Wegovy prescription might be refilled on a month-to-month foundation at your native pharmacy.
