The treatment, already approved in countries such as the United States and Canada, consists of a hormone that signals the brain to feel full.
THE National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) approved the first weekly injectable drug for the treatment of obesity in the country. The decision was published in Federal Official Sheet (DOU) this Monday, 2. Treatment with the semaglutide pen (2.4 mg), which has already received approval in countries such as the United States and Canada, must be done under medical supervision.
The substance – which is approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the country, but in a lower dosage – can cause patients to lose, on average, 15% of body weight in just over a year. Semaglutide is a hormone that signals the brain to feel full. The subcutaneous application takes place once a week and is already tested by scientific research.
As shown the Stadium a year ago, the method, developed for the treatment of diabetes, has proved to be an important ally in the fight against obesity. One of the major studies indicating how the pen can be beneficial for patients with obesity, according to experts, was published in March 2020 in the scientific journal The New England journal of medicine.
Researchers have shown that, when combined with a regulated diet and increased physical activity, the weekly dose of 2.4 mg of semaglutide led to an average weight loss of 15.2%, compared with 2.6% in the placebo group – the dosage used to treat obesity is nearly double the 1.3mg used to treat type 2 diabetes.
“It’s the drug that comes with studies showing the most potency in terms of percent weight reduction,” says endocrinologist Paulo Miranda, president of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SBEM).
1,961 adults with a high body mass index participated in the trials and were followed for 104 weeks. There were no serious side effects, but gastrointestinal events such as nausea and vomiting have been reported, reinforcing the need for medical follow-up.
According to Miranda, the studies didn’t show more serious adverse effects or greater concern. “In general, the drug is well tolerated, because the side effects are reversible, with dose reduction or drug discontinuation,” explains the endocrinologist.
As a result, the pen, whose overseas trade name is Wegovy, was approved in the same year as a study by the US regulatory agency (FDA) to treat overweight and obesity, one of the major problems faced by Americans. . It has also received endorsements from Europe and Canada.
In Brazil, the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which markets the product, requested the use of the pen from Anvisa at the end of 2021 to treat obesity. After being reviewed, the request has now been approved, but there is still no forecast on when it will arrive in Brazil or how much it will cost.
“We should celebrate having one more drug to treat obesity,” says Miranda. “But it is important to emphasize that the treatment of obesity, which is a chronic, complex and multifactorial disease, is not just a drug therapy. It is a medical and multidisciplinary treatment.”
For the director of the Brazilian Association for the Study of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (Abeso), endocrinologist Cynthia Valerio, “the approval of semaglutide for the treatment of obesity by Anvisa is a huge achievement for patients with obesity and overweight in Brazil”.
“It’s a drug that has ushered in a new era in the treatment of obesity,” he says. He reinforces that studies of the drug indicate that the treatment can provide sustained weight loss of, on average, 17 percent of body weight in about a year and a half of use.
But he also believes that treatment should be combined with other actions. “Medicine supports lifestyle change, but should never be seen as an isolated cure,” Cynthia reiterates. “Obesity today is such a huge public health problem that we have to think of it as one more weapon, which comes in addition to other existing ones”.
liraglutide pen
The liraglutide pen, also developed by Novo Nordisk, is already approved by Anvisa for the treatment of obesity. Unlike semaglutide, however, it is applied daily.
There is no study comparing the effectiveness of the two substances in the treatment of obesity, but a survey conducted by the Danish pharmaceutical company showed that Saxenda can reduce body mass by up to 8% after administration for a year – an index lower than that presented by semaglutide.
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
