Drug Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) May Help Teens Lose Weight: Kind of Two Diabetes

• A new study finds that weight-loss pills can help teens significantly lower their BMI.
• The drug, called semaglutide, is currently approved only for adults with obesity or obesity-related conditions.

This drug is injected him once a week and is used under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy. The study, published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that her obese teen who took the drug and underwent a lifestyle intervention found that within 68 weeks, her body mass index (BMI) had dropped below his We found that it decreased by 16%.

The glucagon-like peptide-1 analog, semaglutide, is currently approved only for adults with obesity or obesity-related conditions. The researchers say the new results shed light on promising new treatment options for obese adolescents, especially at a time when childhood obesity rates are rising sharply. We believe it will be a breakthrough, we need more research to prove its effectiveness, and we need more insurers to be willing to adopt it.” Fountain Valley, Calif. Gina Posner, board-certified pediatrician at one Memorial Care Orange Coast Medical Center.

Semaglutide worked better than other weight-loss drugs

Researchers compared the efficacy of semaglutide to placebo in 201 obese adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. In this study, 134 of her participants received her 2.4 milligrams of semaglutide subcutaneously once weekly and lifestyle measurements were taken over 68 weeks. Of the total participants, 67 received placebo and adhered to the lifestyle intervention for 68 weeks. They found that those taking semaglutide had her BMI decrease by 16.1% compared to her baseline BMI.

In addition, 73% of those taking semaglutide lost at least 5% of their body weight compared to 18% of those taking placebo. Those who took semaglutide and experienced weight loss also reported improved quality of life. The benefits of semaglutide were significantly greater than other weight-loss drugs approved for obese adolescents, according to the researchers.

How childhood obesity is currently treated

Although current guidelines for obese youth recommend multiple lifestyle interventions, research generally suggests that once obesity occurs, if adolescents are meeting their weight loss goals, they are more likely to adopt a lifestyle approach. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three weight loss pills for her obese teens.

"There aren't many other options aside from lifestyle interventions - other than medications used only for very specific medical indications. Providence St. John, Santa Monica, Calif. • Health Center pediatrician Daniel Gandian.

What pediatricians think of the drug

Posner said that while the results were interesting, the study was not conducted in an ethnically diverse population and the drug has not been adequately tested in adolescents with type 2 diabetes, so caution should be exercised. It states that it should be interpreted to

"More research will be needed to include these groups, but ultimately we may be able to help obese teens who are really struggling to lose weight," Posner said.

"Scientists will then be able to study this drug more closely and prescribe better next-generation drugs," said Ganjian.

The bottom line:

A new study finds that the obesity and type 2 diabetes drug semaglutide is as effective in obese adolescents as it is in obese adults. The researchers say the new results shed light on a promising new treatment option for obese adolescents.