Ozempic and Wegovy — both injectable forms of semaglutide — have become synonymous with weight loss in the last months and years. Now a new drug is emerging that would offer the same drug in an oral (tablet) form.
The new drug was developed by Novo Nordisk, the same company that makes Ozempic and Wegovy, and has just completed its phase 3 clinical trials. The results were announced Sunday at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) scientific meeting in Los Angeles, California.
The oral drug indicated for Type 2 diabetes or weight loss for patients with obesity, would provide an alternative for people who are not open to injections.
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“The possibility of having a pill that can offer the power of weight loss to people with diabetes is really exciting,” Dr. robert gabbay, Based in Boston ADA’s chief scientific and medical officer told Fox News Digital during a phone interview during the scientific session.
“It opens up this type of therapy to many more people who could potentially benefit from it.”
A new drug that will offer the same drugs in an oral (pill) format that current injectables offer has just completed its Phase 3 clinical trials. (iStock)
Ozempic is marketed for people with type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy is indicated for weight loss. Both drugs are Semaglutide, but with different dosages.
“Our focus was primarily on people with diabetes, but it turns out that the vast majority of people with type 2 diabetes also have obesity,” Gabbay explained.
“So it’s really important to have a drug that can solve a key problem for people with diabetes – especially for those who have some resistance or fear of having an injection.”
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The double-blind, randomized phase 3 study involved 667 people who were randomly assigned to receive either 50 milligrams of the drug or a placebo, said the study’s lead author, Dr. Filip Knop, Professor at Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen.
Participants took the semaglutide once a day for 68 weeks and were monitored for both safety and effectiveness.
Ozempic is marketed for people with type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy is indicated for weight loss. However, both drugs are Semaglutide, only with different dosages. (Getty Images)
“It is important to emphasize that the participants were people suffering from obesity but didn’t have type 2 diabetes,” Knop told Fox News Digital in a phone interview.
“You could have [had] Pre-diabetes, but they could not be included in the study if they had type 2 diabetes.”
The average patient loss was 44 pounds.
For the 86% of participants who took the drug throughout the study, they achieved an average body weight loss of 17.4%, compared with just 1.8% for those who took a placebo, said Knop, who has been a researcher since 1999 diabetes and metabolism research.
The average patient loss was 44 pounds.
In addition to helping with weight loss, the semaglutide drug may help reduce cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes, Gabbay noted.
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“For those people who are at high risk or [who] already cardiovascular disease“The parent drug has been shown to reduce mortality and there is no reason to believe that the oral version would not,” he told Fox News Digital.
Common side effects during the study were gastrointestinal in nature — such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea — similar to Ozempic and Wegovy.
The new oral drug, indicated for type 2 diabetes or for weight loss in obese patients, would provide an alternative for people who are reluctant to injections. Patients would take one pill daily. (iStock)
Some less common side effects reported in the first 20 weeks of the study were short-term changes in skin feel, such as hypersensitivity or paresthesia (tingling or tingling sensations), Knop said.
Following the successful results of the Phase 3 study, drug manufacturers will attempt to begin the FDA approval application process.
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“We’re excited to see new opportunities for people living with diabetes and obesity,” Gabbay said.
“Having something available orally should increase the number of people who can benefit from such treatments.”