Weight loss drug is "Game Changer"

A study's shown a drug which is already being used to treat diabetes, can cut body weight by up to 20%.

Semaglutide works by suppressing appetite, leading to reduced hunger and therefore less calorie intake.

As part of a global study, involving British researchers participants were given the drug in a weekly injection (very similar to the way people with diabetes use insulin).

The average weight loss for those taking Semaglutide in the trial was 15.3kg (nearly three stone), with participants also reporting improvements in their overall quality of life.

Those sort of results have only previously been seen after weight-loss surgery.

Participants also saw reductions in risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, such as waist circumference, blood fats, blood sugar and blood pressure.

It's now been submitted for regulatory approval.

Professor John Wilding, who leads clinical research into obesity, diabetes and endocrinology at the University of Liverpool, is first author of the paper, and co-investigator on the trial, he said:

“This is a significant advance in the treatment of obesity. Semaglutide is already approved and used clinically at a lower dose for treatment of diabetes, so as doctors we are already familiar with its use. For me this is particularly exciting as I was involved in very early studies of GLP1 (when I worked at the Hammersmith Hospital in the 1990’s we were the first to show in laboratory studies that GLP1 affected appetite), so it is good to see this translated into an effective treatment for people with obesity.”

Professor Rachel Batterham (UCL), a co-author on the paper said:

“The findings of this study represent a major breakthrough for improving the health of people with obesity. Three quarters (75%) of people who received semaglutide 2.4mg lost more than 10% of their body weight and more than one-third lost more than 20%. No other drug has come close to producing this level of weight loss – this really is a gamechanger. For the first time, people can achieve through drugs what was only possible through weight-loss surgery.”

“The impact of obesity on health has been brought into sharp focus by COVID-19 where obesity markedly increases the risk of dying from the virus, as well as increasing the risk of many life-limiting serious diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and certain types of cancers. This drug could have major implications for UK health policy for years to come.”