Title: Unveiling the Power of "Super" Ozempic: Higher Dose Semaglutide Yields Extraordinary Weight Loss Results
The competition in developing more effective obesity drugs is reaching new heights, with Novo Nordisk leading the charge. This week, Novo Nordisk announced that those taking its high-dose semaglutide lost significantly more weight than typical in a large-scale trial, known as the STEP UP trial.
Involving over 1,400 individuals with obesity, some were randomly assigned to receive a 7.2 milligram dose of semaglutide. Individuals on this dose shed approximately 20% of their initial body weight over a 72-week period. This surpasses the typical weight loss results seen with semaglutide-based drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
Semaglutide mimics the hormone GLP-1, which helps regulate our hunger and metabolism. It's the active component in type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic and the higher-dose obesity drug Wegovy. Since Wegovy's approval in 2021, Ozempic has frequently been prescribed off-label for weight loss in large-scale, placebo-controlled trials, leading to an average weight loss of about 15%.
The emergence of semaglutide has ushered in a new era of obesity treatment, and both Novo Nordisk and its rivals have worked on developing the next generation of these drugs. Although Wegovy is already a higher-dose version of semaglutide with a maximum prescribed dose of 2.4 milligrams, compared to 1 milligram for Ozempic, Novo Nordisk is banking on the drug's effectiveness not yet reaching its peak.
The STEP UP trial included three groups: one given a placebo, another receiving a 2.4 milligram dose of semaglutide, and a third receiving the 7.2 milligram dose. Among those who faithfully adhered to the medication schedule (weekly injections under the skin), people on the 7.2 milligram dose lost an average 20.7% body weight after 72 weeks, compared to 17.5% for the 2.4 milligram group and 2.4% for the placebo group. Even among those who didn't fully adhere, the higher-dose version still outperformed the original (18.7% compared to 15.6%).
As for safety and tolerability, high-dose semaglutide appears to be generally safe and well-tolerated. While GLP-1 drugs are known to cause gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting, these effects are typically mild to moderate and usually wear off over time. In the trial, side effects were comparable between the 7.2 milligram and 2.4 milligram groups, according to Novo Nordisk.
The company also anticipates releasing the results of its STEP UP T2D trial, which tested the 7.2 milligram dose for individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Assuming everything goes as planned, semaglutide could maintain its status as a top-tier obesity and diabetes treatment for Novo Nordisk, even as other companies release their drug candidates.
Stiff competition awaits, however. In a trial disclosed late last year, Eli Lilly's existing drug tirzepatide (the active ingredient in diabetes medication Mounjaro and obesity treatment Zepbound) outperformed Wegovy, with an average weight loss of 20.2%, compared to 13.7% for Wegovy in large-scale trials. Other obesity drugs in development have also shown promising results, which may overshadow both tirzepatide and semaglutide.
The cost factor is another consideration. The current lower-dose semaglutide variations have been available for some time and carry high list prices, around $1,000 per month. This has angered both the public and lawmakers, with the federal government recently announcing that it would negotiate pricing for both Ozempic and Wegovy through Medicare's new drug negotiation program. While a higher-dose semaglutide may be more effective at treating obesity, it could potentially allow the company to continue selling its drug at a similar or even higher price.
As the future of obesity treatment looms, it's not just promising but also expensive.
In the realm of future healthcare advancements, the integration of science and technology is expected to significantly impact the development of more effective obesity treatments. Furthermore, the ongoing competition in the field of health technology could potentially lead to more affordable and accessible obesity drug options in the near future.
