Wegovy, which is a kind of pen with an injectable substance that acts in the treatment of obesity, was recently approved and released for medical recommendation by Anvisa on January 3rd. The drug uses semaglutide as an active ingredient, which was already used in another drug to treat diabetes type 2.
Obesity has treatment
see more
Secret of youth? Researchers reveal how to reverse…
The "powers" of porridge: check out the benefits of oats in…
Another medicine with the same active principle, called Ozempic, was already used to fight the disease, but in a off-label, that is, without express guidance on the leaflet. Wegovy will be available with a higher dose, which is approved so far: 2.4 mg per week.
The drug should be applied once a week, with an initial dose of 0.25mg, however the recommended maintenance dose – 2.4mg per week – should be reached over 16 weeks. To apply Wegovy, the pen needs to be pressed against the skin until all the medicine is injected.
Wegovy is a GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), which has up to 94% similarity to the naturally produced human hormone. That is, GLP-1. This molecule encourages weight loss by increasing the feeling of satiety, which leads to reduced hunger. In this way, people who use the medication end up reducing their caloric intake, which promotes weight loss along with other activities.
The medicine causes some negative side effects, but the most frequent ones reach more than one in ten people. The main adverse reactions are:
- Abdominal pain;
- Diarrhea;
- Nausea;
- Headaches;
- Vomiting;
- Constipation.
These adverse intestinal effects occur because the compound is a hormone analogue that is already present in the human intestine. This hormone is responsible for “warning” the brain regarding when to decrease the feeling of hunger after eating, slow down stomach emptying and provide an increase in insulin production, which is responsible for promoting the absorption of glucose into cells.
Finally, the medication is not recommended for use with other medications that use the same substance or other GLP-1 receptors. It is also contraindicated for breastfeeding and pregnant women.
It must be discontinued at least two months in advance in case of planned pregnancy, as Wegovy has a long half-life.
Lover of movies and series and everything that involves cinema. An active curious on the networks, always connected to information about the web.