DIABETES DRUG THAT CUTS WEIGHT SOON TO BE GIVEN FDA APPROVAL

▶ Semaglutide could be a new weapon in the fight against obesity and Type 2 diabetes in UAE

Developmental drugs used to control diabetes could become the latest weapon in the fight against obesity by helping to suppress appetite in overweight patients.

Semaglutide is being reviewed by US regulators before a worldwide launch as a pill to help control Type 2 diabetes.

Researchers at the University of Leeds and University of Leicester in the UK have found the drug also controls hunger because it has a similar chemical structure to a hormone that suppresses appetite in the brain.

Studies show rapid and significant weight loss in obese patients, offering hope to doctors that they could soon be of benefit to patients in the UAE who are struggling to lose weight by conventional means.

About 19 per cent of the UAE population either has diabetes or a precursor to the condition, and almost 30 per cent of the nation is overweight or obese.

With some people unable to control their appetite and turning to bariatric surgery to lose weight, a new medication that reduces appetite would be welcome, said Dr Job Simon, a consultant endocrinologist at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi.

“This new drug looks better than what is currently available so it has potential,” Dr Simon said. “It is stronger and will be available orally, so it will be more appealing for many patients.

“This UK study is what would be expected with these drugs. The only thing that is unclear is the level of weight loss. If the patient has not lost weight within three months of taking this drug it is unlikely they will lose weight just from taking this drug.

“Once it is available many patients will probably switch to semaglutide. It is a huge market, particularly in the UAE.”

Danish company Novo Nordisk is developing semaglutide to treat diabetes, and is awaiting approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. It has applied to the European Medicines Agency to sell the drug in Europe.

Scientists at the University of Leeds found obese patients in drug trials lost, on average, 5 kilograms in 12 weeks. Most of that weight lost was body fat. The subjects had fewer cravings and less desire for fatty foods.

John Blundell, lead researcher and professor of psychobiology at the university, said the results were what would usually be expected over a six-month period of taking similar anti-obesity medication.

In similar research at the Uni- versity of Leicester, 632 people took a daily dose of the medication to reduce blood diabetes markers. It also helped two thirds of those people to lose a “clinically meaningful” amount of weight.

The results were published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

Studies show that long-term use of these drugs carry few side-effects, but more potent versions in pill form could complement other weight-loss methods and lifestyle changes.

“A small minority experience a level of nausea, but they are generally very safe to use to help reduce a patient’s appetite,” Dr Simon said.

“Willpower will get you only so far. The next option for many is bariatric surgery and many patients are turning to that option. Appetite control is a very complex area and there are different parts of the brain that control appetite.

“Once it is fully understood, there will be a whole new generation of medicines to address obesity and diabetes better than injectable medicines.”

Similar drugs have been available for some time, but all are injected and expensive, costing between Dh600 and Dh1,000 a month.

Dr Prakash Pania, an endocrinologist at the Aster Clinic, said these types of drugs have also been proven to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.

“Patients are not just given these drugs to suppress appetite or lose weight, they are known to have other benefits,” Dr Pania said.

“These are established drugs for diabetes management but they are sometimes used by doctors ‘off label’ for patients who want to lose weight because they are known to be effective.

“We do not prescribe these drugs unless the patient has already undergone a period of lifestyle change and dietary modifications to try to lose weight conventionally.

“That should always be the first option ahead of medication because they are effective only in helping to lose 5 per cent of body weight.”

Once it is available many patients will probably switch to semaglutide. It is a huge market, particularly in the UAE DR JOB SIMON Consultant endocrinologist