By New weight loss drug to tackle obesity
A new drug which decreases your appetite has helped people to lose a fifth of their body weight as part of an international trial.
The drug is to be administered weekly as an injection, it is named Semaglutide.
Alongside the drug users must follow advice on diet plans and fitness.
The study was conducted on almost 2,000 people which showed an average 15kg weight loss during the 15-month trial.
Some people who took part were given the real drug and some were given a placebo.
Scientists said the results could mark a “new era” in treating obesity with even more therapies to come in the near future.
Alongside the drug users must follow advice on diet plans and fitness.
Prof Rachel Batterham, from UCL and one of the UK researchers, told the BBC: “This is a game-changer in the amount of weight loss it causes.”
“I have spent the last 20 years doing obesity research, up until now we’ve not had an effective treatment for obesity apart from bariatric surgery.”
The drug works by hijacking the body’s appetite levels and mimicking a hormone called GLP1 that is released after eating a filling meal.
Trials are still continuing on the drug with a five year trial in place to see if the weight loss continues over a longer period of time.
Prof Sir Stephen O’Rahilly, from the University of Cambridge, said: “The amount of weight loss achieved is greater than that seen with any licensed anti-obesity drug.
“This is the start of a new era for obesity drug development with the future direction being to achieve levels of weight loss comparable to semaglutide, while having fewer side-effects.”
Side effects which were noted with some people in the trial were nausea, constipation, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Semaglutide will be sent to drug regulators so it will not be routinely prescribed however it is believed it will be used by specialist weight loss clinics prior to becoming widely available.
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