Wegovy's Four-Year Weight Loss Efficacy Surpasses Initial Projections

Semaglutide, Ozempic, or Wegovy has been the most successful weight loss drug. It is also incredibly safe for prolonged use. However, there has been concern that many might regain weight on drug discontinuation. However, the study shows that weight loss due to Wegovy use is sustainable for at least four years.

 Obesity is widespread in developed nations. Thus, in the US, 70% of adults are either overweight or obese.

Modern studies show that obesity is a risk factor for almost all non-infectious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, kidney and liver failure, and more. Such great is the risk of these non-infectious diseases in obese people in the US that obesity is now regarded as a disease and not merely a risk factor.

This recognition of obesity as a disease has given researchers a much-needed impulse. That is why so many new drugs to treat obesity have been introduced in the last few years, with every new drug showing better results than previous drugs.

However, perhaps the biggest breakthrough has been the approval of GLP-1 agonists. GLP-1 is a hormone produced by the gut. It helps boost insulin production, lower blood glucose levels, boost metabolic rate, reduce appetite, increase satiety, slow down gut movement, and promote weight loss.

GLP-1 agonists were first approved for treating diabetes. Soon, doctors realized that they were excellent for weight loss. Hence, ultimately, the FDA approved these drugs for weight loss with or without diabetes.

The first drug in this class to be approved for weight loss was semaglutide Ozempic or Wegovy. These are three different names of just the same drug, and Wegovy is specifically approved for weight loss. Since its approval, it instantly became a blockbuster drug. Most people can expect to lose 10% or more of body weight in 6-12 months of its use.

Moreover, Wegovy or semaglutide is very safe for prolonged use. It is also very comfortable to use, as it requires just one sub-cutaneous injection a week. It does have some side effects. It causes gastrointestinal issues like nausea and abdominal pain in some, but such effects are short-lived, and most patients get used to it. 

Wegovy Is Good for Long-Term Weight Loss

Wegovy is one of the most effective weight loss drugs to date. This weight loss is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and more. However, concerns regarding its long-term efficacy remain. There are concerns that many people might regain weight, and thus, all the benefits of the drug might be temporary. However, new data from the study SELECT, using Wegovy for weight loss in non-diabetic patients, now confirm that weight loss due to the drug is sustainable for at least four years.

In the SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial, semaglutide demonstrated a significant 20% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events among 17,604 adults with preexisting cardiovascular disease who were overweight or obese but did not have diabetes. This analysis specifically examined the effects of semaglutide on weight and other body measurements, as well as its safety and tolerability, categorized by baseline body mass index (BMI).

Patients treated with semaglutide experienced continuous weight loss over 65 weeks, which was sustained for up to four years. After 208 weeks, semaglutide was associated with a mean weight reduction of 10.2%, a decrease in waist circumference of 7.7 cm, and a reduction in waist-to-height ratio of 6.9%. These results were significantly better than those for the placebo group, which saw a 1.5% reduction in weight, a 1.3 cm decrease in waist circumference, and a 1.0% reduction in waist-to-height ratio, with all comparisons showing P < 0.0001.

The weight loss benefits of semaglutide were consistent across different sexes, races, body sizes, and geographic regions. Additionally, semaglutide was associated with fewer serious adverse events across all BMI categories studied. However, semaglutide treatment did result in higher rates of treatment discontinuation, which increased as BMI decreased.

The Bottom Line

The findings from the SELECT trial showed that semaglutide provided clinically significant and sustained weight loss, along with improvements in various body measurements over four years. This study indicates that semaglutide is probably good for sustainable weight loss.

Source:

Ryan, D. H., Lingvay, I., Deanfield, J., Kahn, S. E., Barros, E., Burguera, B., Colhoun, H. M., Cercato, C., Dicker, D., Horn, D. B., Hovingh, G. K., Jeppesen, O. K., Kokkinos, A., Lincoff, A. M., Meyhöfer, S. M., Oral, T. K., Plutzky, J., van Beek, A. P., Wilding, J. P. H., & Kushner, R. F. (2024). Long-term weight loss effects of semaglutide in obesity without diabetes in the SELECT trial. Nature Medicine, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02996-7