Beyond Ozempic: The Next Generation of Weight-Loss Drugs Set to Revolutionize Obesity Treatment
In recent months, the weight-loss drug Ozempic, which contains semaglutide, has taken the world by storm, with Hollywood celebrities and TikTok influencers hailing it as a "revolutionary" and "game-changing" treatment for obesity. Semaglutide has been proven to lead to significant weight loss in many individuals, making it a promising option for those struggling with obesity. However, let's not jump ahead too quickly - Ozempic has its limitations, including the need for weekly injections, potential side effects, and the cost of long-term treatment. Additionally, while Ozempic has been approved by the FDA as a diabetes medication, a higher dose of semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy, has been approved for weight loss.
Despite its current dominance in the weight-loss market, semaglutide may soon face competition from even more potent and powerful medications. The demand for effective obesity drugs has spurred a race in the pharmaceutical industry to develop the next generation of treatments, with the first of these drugs potentially becoming available as early as this summer. Semaglutide, though groundbreaking, may just be the stepping stone towards a new class of obesity drugs that could truly revolutionize how society perceives fatness and thinness. The effectiveness and speed of development of these new drugs will determine whether this pharmaceutical revolution lives up to its full promise.
Semaglutide, in a sense, is not a major scientific breakthrough. Diet drugs and GLP-1 agonists, the category of pharmaceuticals that semaglutide belongs to, have been around for several years. These drugs work by mimicking the hormone GLP-1 and binding to its receptors in the body, leading to a sense of fullness and decreased release of food from the stomach. Already, these drugs have improved over time, with daily injections of liraglutide, sold as Saxenda and approved for obesity in 2014, leading to 5 to 10 percent weight loss in most cases. However, semaglutide has gained more attention because it can lead to weight loss of up to 20 percent, and its once-a-week injection schedule makes it more convenient for many people.
But not everyone can achieve the same level of weight loss with semaglutide. More than 60 percent of those taking Wegovy, the higher-dose version of semaglutide, experience smaller changes in weight, as the drug cannot address the complex drivers of obesity that go beyond food. This is where the next generation of obesity drugs comes into play. The first major leap forward is Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, a diabetes drug developed by Eli Lilly that is expected to receive FDA approval for weight loss this year. In studies, Mounjaro has been shown to lead to 20 percent or more weight loss in up to 57 percent of people taking the highest dose. Some have even called it the "King Kong" of weight-loss drugs. Those taking Mounjaro tend to lose weight more quickly and have a better overall experience compared to those on Wegovy, according to Keith Tapper, a biotech analyst at BMO Capital Markets. Moreover, Mounjaro is also relatively cheaper, though still expensive, at around $980 for the highest-dose option, compared to $1,350 for Wegovy.
These advancements in potency are happening at the molecular level. Like semaglutide, Mounjaro mimics the effects of GLP-1, but it also targets receptors for another hormone called GIP, leading to even more weight loss by further reducing focus on food and potentially increasing the activity of a fat-burning
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