Thursday 1 July 2021 3:18pm
Professor Jeremy Krebs, Endocrinologist and Clinical Leader of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Capital and Coast District Health Board, and member of the Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research Centre, has been interviewed by Radio New Zealand's Jim Mora about a new drug treatment for obesity.
The new weight-loss drug, called Wegovy (semaglutide), has recently been granted Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in the United States. Semaglutide acts by increasing the action of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). This peptide is produced following a meal and is important for stimulating insulin release, and also for telling our body that we have had enough to eat.
Semaglutide (at a lower dose) is already in clinical use overseas for treating type 2 diabetes. The action of GLP-1 is dampened in those who have type 2 diabetes and semaglutide acts by increasing the action of GLP-1, which then lowers blood glucose levels. Use of semaglutide also results in weight loss.
Professor Krebs comments that the development of this new class of weight loss drug is an important breakthrough, as recent clinical trial data show weight loss equivalent to that achieved using bariatric surgery. However, the current prohibitive cost and lack of data on its long term effects means it is not likely to be widely available in New Zealand for some time.
Listen to the RNZ interview
New drug billed as a 'game-changer' in obesity crisis, RNZ, 27 June, 2021
Read more about the new weight-loss drug
FDA Just Approved a 'Game-Changer' Weight Loss Drug, Science alert, 7 June, 2021
