Whereas injectable drugs have dominated the burden loss house for years, most individuals aren’t precisely pumped to stay a needle of their abdomen on a weekly foundation. Now, a possible game-changing medicine has entered the weight-loss house: a Wegovy capsule.
As you most likely know, Wegovy is an FDA-approved injectable semaglutide weight reduction medicine for adults with weight problems or chubby and with one weight-related situation. It’s the cousin of Ozempic (which is FDA-approved for blood sugar administration) and may ship spectacular weight reduction outcomes.
The brand new Wegovy capsule isn’t the primary semaglutide oral medicine—that honor goes to Rybelsus, which was authorized in 2019. However Rybelsus is FDA-approved for blood sugar administration in individuals with sort 2 diabetes. The Wegovy capsule is the primary oral GLP-1 medicine for weight reduction.
Many sufferers have been ready for this. “I’ve had a pair individuals on injectable semaglutide who’ve mentioned, ‘When is the oral type popping out?’” Richard Siegel, MD, an endocrinologist and codirector of the Diabetes and Lipid Heart at Tufts Medical Heart, tells SELF.
“We wish as many instruments in our software equipment as potential to assist individuals,” Carolynn Francavilla Brown, MD, a household doctor and member of the Weight problems Drugs Affiliation Board of Trustees Government Committee, tells SELF. “Any new addition is thrilling, however I’m most excited for my sufferers who’re actually needle-phobic.”
Diana Huang, MD, household doctor at Swedish Downtown Major Care, tells SELF that she’s “very excited” about this new possibility for sufferers. “I’ve a variety of sufferers who’ve been on the fence about beginning these drugs,” she says. “They are saying, ‘If there’s a shot, I don’t need to try this. But when there’s a capsule, signal me up.’ I count on some will attain out about this.’”
It’s laborious to disregard all of the chatter on the market about these weight reduction drugs, it doesn’t matter what type they arrive in. Because of this, it’s simple to be an armchair knowledgeable about GLP-1 receptor agonists and related drugs. However an oral GLP-1 for weight reduction is new. With that in thoughts, we tapped three physicians who work with individuals with weight problems to reply the largest questions surrounding this new Wegovy capsule. Right here’s what they need you to know.
1. Who’s it FDA-approved for?
The Wegovy capsule is FDA-approved to cut back extra physique weight and keep weight discount long-term in adults who’ve weight problems or are chubby. With a view to qualify for the medicine, these sufferers must also have one weight-related situation, like sort 2 diabetes or hypertension.
