Breakthrough in Obesity Treatment: FDA Approves First Daily Oral Medication
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light to a pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, marking a significant milestone in the treatment of obesity. This approval has handed drugmaker Novo Nordisk an edge over rival Eli Lilly in the race to market an obesity pill, with Lilly’s oral drug, orforglipron, still under review.
The newly approved Wegovy pills are expected to be available within weeks, according to company officials. This development is poised to expand the booming market for obesity treatments by broadening access and reducing costs, experts say. The pills contain 25 milligrams of semaglutide, the same ingredient found in injectables Wegovy and Ozempic, as well as in Rybelsus, a lower-dose pill approved to treat diabetes in 2019.
Clinical Trial Results and Mechanism of Action
In a clinical trial, participants who took oral Wegovy lost 13.6% of their total body weight on average over about 15 months, compared with a 2.2% loss if they took a placebo. This is nearly the same as injectable Wegovy, which resulted in an average weight loss of about 15%. The pills work by mimicking a natural hormone that controls appetite and feelings of fullness, similar to widely used injectables.
Chris Mertens, a 35-year-old pediatric lung doctor, participated in the Novo Nordisk trial in 2022 and lost about 40 pounds using the Wegovy pill. He reported that the daily medication helped decrease his appetite and intrusive thoughts of food. “If there were days where I missed a meal, I almost didn’t realize it,” Mertens said, highlighting the pill’s effectiveness in managing hunger and food cravings.
Comparison with Other Obesity Treatments
Both Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill and Lilly’s orforglipron have shown promise in treating obesity, with the latter resulting in an average weight loss of 11.2% in clinical trials. However, Lilly’s Zepbound, which targets two gut hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, has led to a 21% average weight loss, outperforming both oral medications. All GLP-1 drugs, whether oral or injectable, have similar side effects, including nausea and diarrhea.
The convenience of daily pills is a significant advantage, but the Wegovy pill must be taken with a sip of water in the morning on an empty stomach, with a 30-minute break before eating or drinking. This is due to the pill’s design, which prevents the drug from being broken down in the stomach before absorption. In contrast, Lilly’s orforglipron has no dosing restrictions.
Cost and Accessibility
Producing pills is generally cheaper than making injectable drugs, so the cost for the new oral medications could be lower. The starting dose of Wegovy will be available for $149 per month from some providers, with additional information on cost to be released in January. Experts believe that making weight-loss medications more widely accessible and affordable will have the most significant impact on public health.
Dr. Angela Fitch, an obesity expert and chief medical officer of knownwell, a health care company, emphasized that the biggest benefit will be in making these medications more affordable. “It’s all about the price,” she said. “Just give me a drug at $100 a month that is relatively effective.” As the market for obesity treatments continues to evolve, the approval of the Wegovy pill marks a crucial step towards providing more options for patients struggling with obesity.
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