Wegovy: even better than Ozempic for weight loss?

Ozempic and Wegovy are often mentioned in the same breath when it comes to efficient weight loss for overweight people. Since Ozempic is actually only intended for diabetes patients, the manufacturer of Ozempic also developed Wegovy: a product with the same active ingredient in a higher dose with the specific goal of losing weight. Does this product provide more weight loss than Ozempic?

Also read: Is diabetes drug Ozempic a miracle cure for fast weight loss?

Semaglutide

Wegovy and Ozempic were both produced by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Both products contain semaglutide. This substance is similar to a hormone that occurs naturally in the body and helps control digestion, blood sugar and insulin levels.

Both Wegovy and Ozempic help control appetite, blood sugar levels and bowel movements. Because you feel less hungry when you use these drugs, they help you lose weight. It is advised to combine the medication with a healthy diet and exercise.

Also read: Berberine supplement as an alternative to Ozempic slimming product?

Wegovy: intended for weight loss

Compared to other diabetes medications, Ozempic has the advantage of combining blood sugar regulation and weight loss. This makes it a suitable drug for patients who struggle with overweight or obesity, even if they do not have diabetes. However, prescribing Ozempic solely as a weight loss drug is not permitted. The drug is approved as a drug for diabetics for whom weight loss is only a beneficial side effect.

For this reason, Novo Nordisk developed a drug that is only intended as an anti-obesity drug: Wegovy. Unlike Ozempic, Wegovy is officially a weight-loss drug. Wegovy was approved last year by the European Medicines Agency for “the treatment of obesity (BMI = 30)” and “overweight (BMI = 27 and < 30) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity” (such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc.). It also works somewhat better as a weight-loss drug than Ozempic because it contains more active ingredient – ​​semaglutide: 2.4 milligrams compared to 1 milligram.

Side effects Wegovy

With a greater weight-reducing effect, does Wegovy sound promising, or are there also catches? Doctor Marleen Finoulst of Health and Science, a government website that performs fact checks on health, explains: “We know that about a quarter of people with Ozempic have intestinal complaints. Could a larger dose of Wegovy mean that the risk is greater? We don't know.”

It is known that Wegovy carries a rare chance of pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas that causes serious complaints. “You can say that this side effect is rare, but the more people would use the drug, the more people would be affected by it,” says Finoulst. “In the long term, we do not know what the side effects will be.” Facial aging is also mentioned as a possible side effect of drugs such as Wegovy.

Also read: After Ozempic: diabetes drug Mounjaro gives even more weight loss

Buy Wegovy in Belgium

Wegovy has now been approved and found safe by the EMEA and the American FDA. The drug will soon be available on the Belgian market, although it is not yet clear when exactly that will be.

Also read: Can you buy Ozempic in Belgium without a prescription?

Sources: