Wegovy will be available to Canadians starting Monday, but one doctor is warning patients who want to use the drug to lose weight that no drug is a “magic bullet.”
Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare giant based in Denmark, produces the once-weekly injection Wegoby and the popular diabetes and weight loss drug Ozempic.
CTV medical expert Dr. Mara Shapiro said the new drug is specifically aimed at people who meet certain obesity and weight criteria.
“It’s really not a good thing that Hollywood is promoting Ozempic and giving the impression that it’s a silver bullet,” Shapiro said in an interview with CTV News Channel on Friday.
“The problem here is that if you use the drug (WeGoBe) improperly, you may lose weight, but if you stop the drug, you’re likely to gain it back. Remember, this Medications are only effective with exercise and a reduced calorie diet.
Shapiro said Wigovy is an indicated weight loss drug, meaning it is prescribed for a specific purpose. In this case, Wegovy is prescribed to obese adults whose body mass index (BMI) is above 30. This drug is also intended for significantly overweight people with a BMI of 27 and at least he weighs one. Associated medical conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cholesterol problems, dyslipidemia (imbalance of lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides), and obstructive sleep apnea.
“We want people to understand that obesity is a chronic disease and that’s what we’re treating,” Shapiro said. “We’re not going to treat someone who comes in wanting to lose five or 10 pounds, someone who doesn’t actually meet those two strict criteria.”
Wegovy is a chronic disease indication drug, which means it is intended for chronic use, she added.
“It requires monitoring by a health care provider,” she explained. “And you really have to have the indications to go on it, having failed all the other options given to you before you can even think about going on long-term medication.”
Shapiro said the drug makes people feel full and reduces the process of emptying the stomach.
Who shouldn’t use Wegovy?
Shapiro said people who shouldn’t use Wegovy include people who have severe allergic reactions to medications, people with pancreatic or kidney problems, people who are taking diabetes medications, and those who are pregnant. or who are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, and who have the following symptoms: A history of thyroid cancer, particularly medullary thyroid cancer.
Like other drugs, Wigoby has side effects such as constipation and nausea, so the drug is recommended to be used at night, she said.
Users can also experience severe allergic reactions such as inflammation of the pancreas, also known as pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, low blood sugar levels, kidney problems, increased heart rate, depression, suicidal thoughts, and hives. There is a gender.
“No drug is benign,” she said. “It’s naive to say that any drug has no side effects.”
Many people are overweight, Shapiro explained, not necessarily because of lifestyle choices like eating less and exercising more, but because obesity is a chronic disease. “This is a disease like any other disease, and this is a tool to treat it.”
Experts estimate Wegovy will probably cost about $400 a month, but it’s unclear whether health insurance plans will cover that.
Novo Nordisk Canada declined to reveal the price of Wigoby to The Canadian Press. “Drug prices in Canada are influenced by multiple factors, including federal, provincial and territorial governments, and insurance companies, and prices can vary from person to person,” the agency said in a statement.
Health Canada has approved Ozempic only to treat type 2 diabetes, but it is prescribed off-label for weight loss.
Health officials then approved Wigoby in November 2021 amid a shortage of supply of Ozempic. Wegovy has a higher weekly dose of semaglutide at 2.4 milligrams, compared to his single dose of Ozempic, which is 1 milligram. Semaglutide mimics the insulin-promoting hormone, suppresses appetite and produces a feeling of fullness.
Dr. Ehud Ur, a Vancouver-based endocrinologist, says clinical trials have shown that Wegovy is safe and effective for weight loss, and has positive effects on other weight-related conditions, such as cardiovascular health. told the Canadian Press. Ur Novo He is not affiliated with Nordisk.
With files from The Canadian Press
