Drug updated on 4/30/2024
| Dosage Form | Injection (subcutaneous; pre-filled, single-dose pen that delivers doses of 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg) |
| Drug Class | Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists |
| Ongoing and Completed Studies | ClinicalTrials.gov |
Indication
- Indicated in combination with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal stroke) in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight.
- Indicated in combination with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with obesity and in adults with overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbid condition.
Summary
- Semaglutide (Wegovy) is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adult patients with obesity or overweight, and also in pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with obesity.
- A total of 19 systematic reviews/meta-analyses were reviewed to gather information about the safety and effectiveness of semaglutide (Wegovy).
- The drug has been shown to produce significant reductions in body weight, BMI, and waist circumference across various populations including adults and adolescents with obesity or overweight.
- Compared to other GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) such as liraglutide, exenatide, dulaglutide; sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2is); or conventional treatments like exercise alone; semaglutide was superior in terms of efficacy.
- Subgroup analyses indicate that higher dosages along with weekly administration improve outcomes concerning weight loss when using semaglutide (Wegovy).
- Most commonly reported side effects are gastrointestinal but serious adverse events do not significantly differ from comparators suggesting a manageable adverse event profile for this drug.
- Despite having a higher incidence rate of gastrointestinal side effects compared to other drugs used for managing weight such as naltrexone/bupropion & SGLT-2is; it offers an advantageous safety-efficacy balance due its comparable profile regarding serious adverse events making it suitable for broad range patient population seeking obesity management.
- Evidence suggests that intervention combinations like lifestyle interventions plus semaglutide can reduce the incidence rate of hypoglycemia enhancing tolerability while improving both efficacy & safety profiles which makes it versatile treatment option across diverse demographics & conditions associated with obesity like hypertension & dyslipidemia.
Product Monograph / Prescribing Information
| Document Title | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wegovy (semaglutide injection) Prescribing Information | 2024 | Novo Nordisk |
Systematic Reviews / Meta-Analyses
Clinical Practice Guidelines
| Document Title | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Current and future state of pharmacological management of pediatric obesity. | 2024 | International Journal of Obesity |
| Clinical practice guideline for the evaluation and treatment of children and adolescents with obesity. | 2023 | Pediatrics |
| Obesity pharmacotherapy: a review of current practices and future directions. | 2023 | Nutrition and Obesity (C Newberry, Section Editor) |
| A review of current guidelines for the treatment of obesity. | 2022 | American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) |
| Pharmacotherapy for obesity management. | 2022 | Obesity Canada |
| AGA clinical practice guideline on pharmacological interventions for adults with obesity. | 2022 | Gastroenterology |
| Long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonists: Findings and implications of cardiovascular outcomes trials. | 2020 | Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants |