Novo Nordisk Semaglutide Weight Loss

Novo Nordisk headquarters in Denmark

Photo by Toxophilus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Novo Nordisk Semaglutide Weight Loss

Novo Nordisk is a global pharmaceutical company based in Denmark. It has production sites and research centers in several countries, and its controlling shareholder is the Novo Holdings foundation group. The company focuses on diabetes, obesity and other serious chronic diseases.

Novo Nordisk makes medicines and devices for diabetes, along with growth hormone therapy and treatments for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. Its brands include NovoLog, Tresiba, Novolin R, Victoza, Levemir, NovoSeven and NovoEight, as well as the semaglutide brands Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy.

The company employs tens of thousands of people and sells its products in most countries of the world. It was formed in 1989 by the merger of two Danish companies, Novo and Nordisk. Its logo is the Apis bull, a sacred animal in ancient Egypt.

In 2018, the Belgian biotech company Ablynx rejected a takeover offer of about $3.1 billion from Novo Nordisk, saying it undervalued the business. Ablynx was later bought by Sanofi.

Novo Nordisk also set up the World Diabetes Foundation, which funds diabetes care projects in developing countries.

Diabetes medicines make up a large share of the company's business. Novo Nordisk ran the Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs (DAWN) studies, large international surveys on the psychological side of living with diabetes.

The second study, DAWN2, in 2012 surveyed about 15,000 people, including patients, family members and health care providers.

Novo Nordisk developed semaglutide, first approved to treat type 2 diabetes. The FDA later approved a higher-dose version, Wegovy, for chronic weight management.

In the main trial for adults without diabetes, people on Wegovy 2.4 mg lost an average of 14.9% of their body weight over 68 weeks, compared with 2.4% on placebo.

In adults with type 2 diabetes, the average loss was smaller: 9.6% vs 3.4%, according to the Wegovy prescribing information.

Semaglutide drug for weight loss

Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic, a medicine developed to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Ozempic is a solution injected under the skin once a week.

This drug belongs to the class of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1, the GLP-1 receptor agonists. It can be used alone or together with other diabetes medicines.

Ozempic comes in prefilled pens for self-injection at home. Different pens deliver different doses, so use only the pen your prescriber chooses. Semaglutide is also available as a daily tablet: Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy tablets for weight management.

Semaglutide reduces appetite, which is why people with diabetes taking it often lose weight.

Ozempic itself is not approved for weight loss. When a doctor prescribes it only for weight loss, that is called off-label use. Wegovy is the semaglutide product approved for weight management.

Wegovy is for adults with obesity (BMI of 30 or more), or with overweight (BMI of 27 or more) plus a weight-related health problem, and for some children 12 and older. It is used together with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity, as NIDDK explains.

Food and drug administration approval of the semaglutide drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved semaglutide (Ozempic) for type 2 diabetes in December 2017.

It can be used with other diabetes drugs, such as metformin, sulfonylureas or insulin. Combining it with insulin or a sulfonylurea raises the risk of low blood sugar, so your doctor may lower those doses.

Be careful with semaglutide sold online or by some telehealth companies. The FDA warns that unapproved and compounded versions do not go through FDA review for safety, effectiveness and quality.

Semaglutide dosage

Semaglutide requires a prescription and medical supervision. Your doctor starts with a low dose and increases it slowly to reduce stomach side effects. Never change your dose without talking to your prescriber.

Semaglutide form and strength

Ozempic comes in multi-dose pens, each designed to deliver specific doses. Your prescriber will choose the right pen for your dose.

A starter pen delivers the 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg doses used when beginning treatment.
Other pens deliver higher maintenance doses, which your doctor may prescribe if your blood sugar needs more control.

Each injection uses a new needle.

Never share a semaglutide pen with another person, even if the needle is changed, because this can spread infections.

Type 2 diabetes dosage

According to the Ozempic label, treatment starts with 0.25 mg once a week for 4 weeks. This starting dose is to help your body adjust, not to control blood sugar level. After that, your doctor increases the dose step by step based on how you respond.

Take it on the same day each week, at any time of day, with or without meals.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as possible within 5 days. If more than 5 days have passed, skip it and take the next dose on your regular day.

What are the side effects of semaglutide drugs?

Common side effects of semaglutide include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, constipation, gas and upset stomach. These often ease over days or weeks. If they persist or are severe, contact your doctor.

Serious side effects listed on the Ozempic label include:

Pancreatitis, with symptoms such as severe stomach pain that may spread to the back, with or without vomiting.
Kidney problems, usually from dehydration caused by vomiting or diarrhea. Symptoms can include reduced urination, swelling and fatigue.
Serious allergic reactions.
Diabetic retinopathy complications in people with diabetes, with symptoms such as vision changes or blurred vision.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), mainly when used with insulin or a sulfonylurea. Symptoms include hunger, confusion, sweating, headache, fast heartbeat, drowsiness and weakness.
Gallbladder problems, such as gallstones.
Possible thyroid tumors. Semaglutide caused thyroid C-cell tumors in rodents, and it's unknown whether it does in humans. It should not be used by people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or MEN 2. Report a lump in the neck, trouble swallowing, hoarseness or shortness of breath.

The bottom line

Weight loss is a common effect of semaglutide, and a higher-dose version, Wegovy, is FDA-approved for weight management in people who meet the criteria.

It requires a prescription and medical supervision. Serious risks are uncommon but real, so talk to your doctor about whether it is right for you, and avoid unapproved versions sold online.