Achi news desk-
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a doctor is warning patients who want to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a “magic bullet.”
Novo Nordisk, a Danish global healthcare giant, produces the weekly injection Wegovy and the popular diabetes and weight loss drug Ozempic.
The new medication is supposed to be especially for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight, said CTV medical expert, Dr. Marla Shapiro.
“The popularization of Ozempic being used by Hollywood and giving the impression that it’s a magic bullet has actually not been a good thing,” Shapiro said in an interview with CTV News Channel on Friday.
“The issue here is that you could lose the weight by using the medicine (Wegovy) inappropriately, but if you stop the medicine, you are likely to gain it back. Remember, the medication only works with exercise and a reduced calorie diet.”
Shapiro said Wegovy is an off-label weight loss medication, meaning it is prescribed for a specific purpose. In this case, Wegovy is prescribed to adults who are obese, with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30. The drug also targets those who are significantly overweight, with A BMI of 27, and has at least one weight-related medical condition such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, cholesterol problems, dyslipidemia (an imbalance of lipids such as cholesterol or triglycerides), or obstructive sleep apnea.
“We really want people to understand that obesity is a chronic medical condition and that’s what we treat,” Shapiro said. “We’re not looking to treat someone who walks in and wants to lose five pounds, 10 pounds, who really doesn’t meet those two strict criteria.”
Because Wegovy is an off-label medication for a chronic disease, it suggests it is for chronic use, he added.
“It needs to be monitored by your healthcare provider,” he explained. “And you have to have the indications to go on it, after failing all the other options that could have been given to you before thinking about going on long-term medication.”
The medication makes people feel fuller and reduces gastric emptying, or the process of the stomach expelling its contents, Shapiro said.
Who should not use Wegovy
Individuals who should not use Wegovy, according to Shapiro, include those with severe allergic reactions to the medication, those with pancreatic or renal kidney problems, those using drugs for diabetes, those who are pregnant or planning to breastfeed or those planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding. history of thyroid cancer, especially medullary thyroid cancer.
Like other medicines, he said Wegovy has side effects such as constipation and nausea, which is why it is suggested to use the drug at night.
Users may also experience inflammation of the pancreas, also known as pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, lower blood sugar, kidney problems, increased heart rates, depression, suicidal thoughts and severe allergic reactions such as hives.
“No medicine is harmless,” he said. “It is naive to say that any medicine has no side effects.”
Many people are overweight not necessarily because of their lifestyle choices in failing to eat less and exercise more, it’s because they have obesity as a chronic disease, Shapiro explained. “This is an illness like other illnesses and this is a tool to treat it.”
Experts estimated that Wegovy would probably cost about $400 a month, although it is unclear whether medical insurance plans will cover it.
Novo Nordisk Canada declined to share Wegovy’s price with The Canadian Press. In a statement, he said that “medicine prices in Canada are influenced by multiple factors including federal, provincial and territorial governments and insurance providers, and prices can vary from person to person.”
Only Ozempic is approved by Health Canada to treat Type 2 diabetes but is prescribed off-label for weight loss.
The health agency later approved Wegovy in November 2021 amid a supply shortage of Ozempic. Wegovy carries a higher weekly dose of semaglutide at 2.4 milligrams, compared to one milligram in a single dose of Ozempig. Semaglutide, an insulin-stimulating hormone mimic, suppresses appetite and helps people feel fuller.
Clinical trials have shown that Wegovy is safe and effective for weight loss, and has had a positive effect on other weight-related conditions such as cardiovascular health, said Vancouver-based endocrinologist Dr. Ehud Ur, by The Canadian Press. Ur is not affiliated with Novo Nordisk.
With files from The Canadian Press
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