Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk intends to ask the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later this year to approve the new pills for obesity.

According to the final findings of two trials published Sunday night, high-dose oral versions of the medicine in the weight-loss drug Wegovy may function just as well as the well-liked injections regarding shedding pounds and enhancing health. The strong pills also seem to help people with diabetes, who are renowned for having difficulty losing weight, as reported by AP News.

An Oral Option for Obesity

(Photo : by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND - APRIL 13: In this photo illustration, Misoprostol tablets are displayed at a family planning clinic on April 13, 2023 in Rockville, Maryland.

Other weight-loss medications have been available, but none produce the significant reductions seen with injectable treatments like Wegovy. According to Dr. Katherine Saunders, clinical professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Health and co-founder of Intellihealth, a weight-loss facility, people with obesity will be "thrilled" to have an oral option that is just as successful.

Rybelsus, an oral form of semaglutide, the same substance used in the diabetic medications Ozempic and Wegovy, is already offered by Novo Nordisk and licensed to treat diabetes. There are doses available up to 14 milligrams.

Read Also: Obesity Drug That Helps People Lose 15% Weight Now FDA Approved, Pill Being Developed

Will It Work?

However, findings from two gold-standard trials presented at the American Diabetes Association's annual meeting examined how oral semaglutide doses as high as 25 and 50 milligrams affected weight loss, blood sugar levels, and other health indicators.

In a 16-month trial including 1,600 overweight or obese participants who were also receiving Type 2 diabetes treatment, it was discovered that the high-dose daily pills dramatically reduced blood sugar levels compared to the usual Rybelsus dosage. The larger doses also caused weight loss of between 15 and 20 pounds from a starting weight of 212 pounds, as opposed to roughly 10 pounds on the lower dose.

Another 16-month study found that the 50-milligram daily pill helped people lose an average of about 15 percent of their body weight, or about 35 pounds, compared to about 6 pounds with a dummy pill, or placebo, in over 660 adults who had obesity or were overweight with at least one related disease but not diabetes.

According to the study's authors, this is "notably consistent" with the weight loss induced by weekly injections of the highest dose of Wegovy. But adverse consequences did exist. Any size dose of oral semaglutide caused mild to moderate intestinal issues, including nausea, constipation, and diarrhea, in about 80 percent of individuals.

There was evidence of a greater rate of benign tumors in those using the medication than in those on a placebo in the 50-milligram obesity trial. Additionally, 13 percent of those who used the medication reported having "altered skin sensation" like tingling or increased sensitivity.

According to medical experts, the pills will be well-liked, particularly among those who wish to reduce weight but fear needles. Tablets also wouldn't need to be refrigerated for storage, making them more portable than injectable pens.

According to Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an expert in obesity management at Massachusetts General Hospital, the pills aren't necessarily a better option for the hundreds of thousands of people presently on injectable equivalents like Ozempic or Wegovy.

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