These reports on Semaglutide (aka Ozempic, Wegovy): Proof that people will voluntarily take medications to limit their gluttony and cravings if they feel pleasure and benefit in doing so.
Why not the same for our other excess desires to consume, all manner of dopamine stimulated greed, poisoning our world, filling trash dumps and oceans, just as our bodies are fueled by desires in excess for food, alcohol and the like? Could like voluntary choices to undertake medical treatments to our bodies and minds, based on pleasure and benefit, also lead to treatments for other social ailments: reduced excess anger, violence in rage, combined with increased empathy for the suffering of others and the like, all voluntarily undertaken, with medical oversight and informed consent, by great masses of people simply for the pleasure, peace, contentment, inner satisfaction and health benefits each personally brings?
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EFFECTIVE PILLS FOR WEIGHT LOSS, INCLUDING AN ORAL VERSION OF OZEMPIC, ARE ON THE HORIZON
Drugmakers are racing to be the first to market with an oral version of the newest class of weight loss drugs that have soared in popularity in the past year.
Results of two clinical trials, presented here at the 2023 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, point toward the progress drug companies have made in the development of a weight loss drug in pill form.
Popular drugs, including Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, can produce significant weight loss, but all are given as weekly injections.
A weight loss drug in the form of a daily pill may be a more palatable option for some people. “The nice thing about tablets is that virtually everyone is used to taking a tablet for something, even if it’s just a vitamin. It’s not a big deal,” said Dr. Robert Gabbay, the ADA’s chief scientist.
On Sunday, Novo Nordisk presented findings looking at an oral version of semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — for weight loss in people who are obese or overweight, and do not have Type 2 diabetes. Participants in the phase 3 clinical trial lost 15% of their body weight, on average, after 68 weeks. The findings were simultaneously published in The Lancet. The weight loss seen in the trial was on par with what Novo Nordisk reported in clinical trials with people taking a weekly injection of semaglutide over the same time period.
“It really is a game changer,” Gabbay said. Some people prefer taking their medicine in the form of a pill or tablet, instead of an injectable, because they are afraid of needles, he said. Dr. Mico Guevarra, who heads oral semaglutide research for Novo Nordisk, told NBC News that an oral drug for weight loss would give people more options.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...izon-rcna90981
Drugmakers are racing to be the first to market with an oral version of the newest class of weight loss drugs that have soared in popularity in the past year.
Results of two clinical trials, presented here at the 2023 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, point toward the progress drug companies have made in the development of a weight loss drug in pill form.
Popular drugs, including Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, can produce significant weight loss, but all are given as weekly injections.
A weight loss drug in the form of a daily pill may be a more palatable option for some people. “The nice thing about tablets is that virtually everyone is used to taking a tablet for something, even if it’s just a vitamin. It’s not a big deal,” said Dr. Robert Gabbay, the ADA’s chief scientist.
On Sunday, Novo Nordisk presented findings looking at an oral version of semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — for weight loss in people who are obese or overweight, and do not have Type 2 diabetes. Participants in the phase 3 clinical trial lost 15% of their body weight, on average, after 68 weeks. The findings were simultaneously published in The Lancet. The weight loss seen in the trial was on par with what Novo Nordisk reported in clinical trials with people taking a weekly injection of semaglutide over the same time period.
“It really is a game changer,” Gabbay said. Some people prefer taking their medicine in the form of a pill or tablet, instead of an injectable, because they are afraid of needles, he said. Dr. Mico Guevarra, who heads oral semaglutide research for Novo Nordisk, told NBC News that an oral drug for weight loss would give people more options.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...izon-rcna90981
CUTTING ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN HALF – SCIENTISTS DISCOVER SURPRISING SIDE EFFECT OF OBESITY DRUG SEMAGLUTIDE
The medication Semaglutide, also known by brand names like Ozempic, has been approved to treat obesity, leading to an upsurge in demand that’s caused recent procurement issues. Some patients struggling with obesity or diabetes have informally reported that their alcohol cravings diminished after starting this medication. ... The results of the study are published in the scientific journal eBioMedicine. In the study, alcohol-dependent rats were treated with semaglutide, which significantly reduced their alcohol consumption and even reduced the drinking of alcohol in conjunction with relapses. Relapses comprise a major problem for individuals with alcohol dependence, as an individual who has abstained from alcohol for a period relapses and drinks more than before the withdrawal. ... The study reports a strikingly good effect, although clinical studies will be required before the medication can be used for alcohol dependence, and such studies take time. Moving forward, the medication may be of most benefit to patients suffering from both overweight and alcohol dependence. According to the researchers, it is likely that these results will carry over to humans, as results from other studies on alcohol dependency medications made with the same research model have shown similar effects in humans as in rats.
“There are, of course, differences in conducting studies on animals and humans, and these must always be taken into account. However, in this case, there is a previous study on humans in which an older version of the diabetes medications that act on GLP-1 was found to reduce alcohol intake in overweight individuals with alcohol dependence,” says Elisabet Jerlhag, professor of pharmacology at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg.
The current study also examined why the medication reduces alcohol drinking. The results indicate that reduced alcohol-induced reward could be a contributing factor. In the study, semaglutide affected the brain’s reward system in mice, to be more exact the nucleus accumbens area of the brain, which is part of the limbic system. “Alcohol activates the brain’s reward system, resulting in the release of dopamine, something that is seen in both humans and animals. This process is blocked by the medication in mice, and with our interpretation, this could cause a reduction in the alcohol-induced reward,” says Cajsa Aranäs, a doctoral student at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, who is responsible for much of the work behind the study presented here.
https://scitechdaily.com/cutting-alc...pand_article=1
The medication Semaglutide, also known by brand names like Ozempic, has been approved to treat obesity, leading to an upsurge in demand that’s caused recent procurement issues. Some patients struggling with obesity or diabetes have informally reported that their alcohol cravings diminished after starting this medication. ... The results of the study are published in the scientific journal eBioMedicine. In the study, alcohol-dependent rats were treated with semaglutide, which significantly reduced their alcohol consumption and even reduced the drinking of alcohol in conjunction with relapses. Relapses comprise a major problem for individuals with alcohol dependence, as an individual who has abstained from alcohol for a period relapses and drinks more than before the withdrawal. ... The study reports a strikingly good effect, although clinical studies will be required before the medication can be used for alcohol dependence, and such studies take time. Moving forward, the medication may be of most benefit to patients suffering from both overweight and alcohol dependence. According to the researchers, it is likely that these results will carry over to humans, as results from other studies on alcohol dependency medications made with the same research model have shown similar effects in humans as in rats.
“There are, of course, differences in conducting studies on animals and humans, and these must always be taken into account. However, in this case, there is a previous study on humans in which an older version of the diabetes medications that act on GLP-1 was found to reduce alcohol intake in overweight individuals with alcohol dependence,” says Elisabet Jerlhag, professor of pharmacology at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg.
The current study also examined why the medication reduces alcohol drinking. The results indicate that reduced alcohol-induced reward could be a contributing factor. In the study, semaglutide affected the brain’s reward system in mice, to be more exact the nucleus accumbens area of the brain, which is part of the limbic system. “Alcohol activates the brain’s reward system, resulting in the release of dopamine, something that is seen in both humans and animals. This process is blocked by the medication in mice, and with our interpretation, this could cause a reduction in the alcohol-induced reward,” says Cajsa Aranäs, a doctoral student at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, who is responsible for much of the work behind the study presented here.
https://scitechdaily.com/cutting-alc...pand_article=1
OZEMPIC IS TAKING CHINA BY STORM. DRUGMAKERS ARE SCRAMBLING TO BOOST SUPPLIES
Chinese social media apps, such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu, have been flooded by posts from users bragging about how they’ve easily lost 10 or more pounds within a month with just a few injections of Ozempic, which is the brand name of semaglutide. “This is a wonder drug,” according to a popular series of posts on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social app similar to Instagram. “No diet, no exercise, you can reduce weight even when you are lying still.”
Ozempic was officially approved in China in April 2021 for treatment of type 2 diabetes. But users can get it from doctors for other uses, or buy it on e-commerce platforms such as Taobao and JD.com (JD) with other people’s prescriptions.
Medical experts say the drug can have serious side effects. Studies and patient reports show that many patients see their weight rebound soon after stopping the injections. But its soaring popularity in China means many hospitals and drugstores have run out of Ozempic since late last year, according to the state-owned People’s Daily Health. That has caused problems for patients with diabetes who depend on the medication. With rising demand, prices have soared online. The official cost of a 1.5 mg Ozempic dose is 478 yuan ($67) in public hospitals, according to China’s National Reimbursement Drugs List.
But prices for the same medication currently range from 36% to 151% higher on online shopping site Taobao.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/06/b...hnk/index.html
Chinese social media apps, such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu, have been flooded by posts from users bragging about how they’ve easily lost 10 or more pounds within a month with just a few injections of Ozempic, which is the brand name of semaglutide. “This is a wonder drug,” according to a popular series of posts on Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social app similar to Instagram. “No diet, no exercise, you can reduce weight even when you are lying still.”
Ozempic was officially approved in China in April 2021 for treatment of type 2 diabetes. But users can get it from doctors for other uses, or buy it on e-commerce platforms such as Taobao and JD.com (JD) with other people’s prescriptions.
Medical experts say the drug can have serious side effects. Studies and patient reports show that many patients see their weight rebound soon after stopping the injections. But its soaring popularity in China means many hospitals and drugstores have run out of Ozempic since late last year, according to the state-owned People’s Daily Health. That has caused problems for patients with diabetes who depend on the medication. With rising demand, prices have soared online. The official cost of a 1.5 mg Ozempic dose is 478 yuan ($67) in public hospitals, according to China’s National Reimbursement Drugs List.
But prices for the same medication currently range from 36% to 151% higher on online shopping site Taobao.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/06/b...hnk/index.html
NOVO NORDISK LIMITS WEGOVY DOSES FOR NEW PATIENTS AS DEMAND OUTPACES SUPPLY
Interest is so high, Novo Nordisk said, that it will pause some promotion of Wegovy “to avoid stimulating further demand.” ... ovo Nordisk said hundreds of thousands of people in the US are on Wegovy
Interest is so high, Novo Nordisk said, that it will pause some promotion of Wegovy “to avoid stimulating further demand.” ... ovo Nordisk said hundreds of thousands of people in the US are on Wegovy
WHO ADVISERS TO CONSIDER WHETHER OBESITY MEDICATION SHOULD BE ADDED TO ESSENTIAL MEDICINES LIST
Advisers to the World Health Organization will consider next month whether to add liraglutide, the active ingredient in certain diabetes and obesity medications, to its list of essential medicines. ... The request to add GLP-1 receptor agonists such as liraglutide came from four researchers at US institutions including Yale University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
These drugs mimic the effects of an appetite-regulating hormone, GLP-1, and stimulate the release of insulin. This helps lower blood sugar and slows the passage of food through the gut. Liraglutide was developed to treat diabetes but approved in the US as a weight-loss treatment in 2014; its more potent cousin, semaglutide, has been approved for diabetes since 2017 and as an obesity treatment in 2021. ... The US patent on liraglutide is set to expire this year, and drugmaker Novo Nordisk says generic versions could be available in June 2024.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/29/h...ide/index.html
Advisers to the World Health Organization will consider next month whether to add liraglutide, the active ingredient in certain diabetes and obesity medications, to its list of essential medicines. ... The request to add GLP-1 receptor agonists such as liraglutide came from four researchers at US institutions including Yale University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
These drugs mimic the effects of an appetite-regulating hormone, GLP-1, and stimulate the release of insulin. This helps lower blood sugar and slows the passage of food through the gut. Liraglutide was developed to treat diabetes but approved in the US as a weight-loss treatment in 2014; its more potent cousin, semaglutide, has been approved for diabetes since 2017 and as an obesity treatment in 2021. ... The US patent on liraglutide is set to expire this year, and drugmaker Novo Nordisk says generic versions could be available in June 2024.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/29/h...ide/index.html
WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS: SEMAGLUTIDE TURNS THE SCALES ON TEEN OBESITY
A secondary analysis of the STEP TEENS trial, published in the Obesity journal and presented at the European Congress on Obesity 2023, has found that semaglutide is effective in treating obesity in adolescents. Nearly half (45%) of the participants treated with semaglutide managed to lose enough weight to be classified below the obesity cutoff, and about three-quarters (74%) experienced a drop in at least one body mass index (BMI) category. The trial initially involved 201 adolescents with high BMIs, who were randomized into groups receiving either a placebo or weekly semaglutide injections alongside lifestyle counseling for 68 weeks.
https://scitechdaily.com/weight-loss...-teen-obesity/
A secondary analysis of the STEP TEENS trial, published in the Obesity journal and presented at the European Congress on Obesity 2023, has found that semaglutide is effective in treating obesity in adolescents. Nearly half (45%) of the participants treated with semaglutide managed to lose enough weight to be classified below the obesity cutoff, and about three-quarters (74%) experienced a drop in at least one body mass index (BMI) category. The trial initially involved 201 adolescents with high BMIs, who were randomized into groups receiving either a placebo or weekly semaglutide injections alongside lifestyle counseling for 68 weeks.
https://scitechdaily.com/weight-loss...-teen-obesity/
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