A drug study found that a drug used to treat people with type 2 diabetes is effective in helping obese people lose weight.
The drug semaglutide, sold under the brand name Ozempicand Rybelsus, was given to adults with a mean BMI of 38.
The 2.4 mg dose was administered once a week by the participants themselves via a subcutaneous injection, such as an insulin injection.
More than one-third (35 percent) of the people who used the drug lost more than one-fifth of their total body weight.
Three-quarters (75 percent) of the people who received semaglutide lost more than 10 percent of their body weight.
According to researchers, the findings are an exchanger because weight loss can be achieved in people who would otherwise need surgery.
Of those using semaglutide, the weight loss averaged 15.3 kg, with a decrease in BMI of minus 5.54.
The placebo group observed an average weight loss of 2.6 kg (0.4 stone) with a reduction in BMI of minus 0.92, more than five times less than those using the drug.
Download for video

The drug semaglutide, sold under the brand name Ozempicand Rybelsus, was given to adults with an average BMI of 38. More than one-third (35 percent) of the people who used the drug had more than a fifth of them total body weight loss.
The findings are praised for their potential to improve the health of people with obesity.
They could play a major role in helping the UK reduce the impact of diseases, such as Covid-19.
Semaglutide has already been approved for use in humans, but is normally prescribed to diabetics with a dose of 1 mg.
The latest semaglutide study is currently in phase three trials with an increased dose of 2.4 mg.
With evidence from this trial, semaglutide was submitted for regulatory approval as a treatment for obesity at the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The drug works by hijacking the body’s own appetite-regulating system in the brain, leading to reduced hunger and calorie intake.
Nearly 2,000 people were recruited for the study from 16 countries that stretched for more than a year and began in the fall of 2018.
Rachel Batterham, professor of obesity, diabetes and endocrinology at UCL, who is leading the research, said: ‘The findings of this study are an important breakthrough in improving the health of people with obesity.
‘Three-quarters (75 percent) of the people who received 2.4 mg of semaglutide lost more than 10 percent of their body weight and more than one-third lost more than 20 percent.
‘No other remedy has come close to this level of weight loss – it’s really a game changer.
“For the first time, people can reach with drugs that were only possible through weight loss surgery.”
Professor Batterham added that the drug could have major implications for British health policy for years to come.
According to the study published in the New England Journal for Medicine, the average participant in the trial lost 15.3 kg (almost three stones).
This was accompanied by a reduction in waist circumference, blood fats, blood sugar and blood pressure which increased the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The chief investigator of the trial in the UK, Professor John Wilding of the University of Liverpool, said: ‘This is a major advance in the treatment of obesity.
“Semaglutide has already been approved and is being used clinically at a lower dose to treat diabetes, so as doctors we are already familiar with its use.”

Of those using semaglutide, the weight loss averaged 15.3 kg, with a decrease in BMI of minus 5.54. The placebo group observed a mean weight loss of 2.6 kg (0.4 stone) with a decrease in BMI of minus 0.92, more than five times less than those using the drug.
People who participated in the study received the drug or a placebo and also had access to individual counseling sessions from registered dietitians every four weeks, as well as guidance to help behavioral strategies and motivation.
In addition, participants received incentives such as kettlebells or food scales to mark progress and milestones.
Some participants reported side effects of the drug, including mild to moderate nausea and diarrhea that were short-lived and usually resolved without the study being permanently discontinued.
Dr Baptiste Leurent of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who was not involved in the study, said it would need to be closely monitored.
“We also need to better understand what happens once treatment is stopped, and whether it can be taken for a shorter period of time,” he adds.
Dr Amelia Hollywood, a health psychologist from the University of Reading, adds: ‘It is promising to hear that there is another potential weight loss medication that can be offered to patients as it is currently the only one that is safe and effective. seems to be. orlistat.
‘This is good news for clinicians and patients. However, it is noteworthy that individuals not only injected this medication and lost weight, but that they also had to change their behavior. ‘