Global healthcare company Novo Nordisk on Friday launched a brand new semaglutide-based medication within the country, positioning it to assist Filipinos with obesity or who’re obese manage their condition and address related comorbidities.
Called Wegovy, the drug comprises semaglutide, a molecule that mimics the body’s natural hormone answerable for regulating appetite, GLP-1.
This helps users feel fuller, which can support weight reduction when combined with proper weight-reduction plan and physical activity.
A key query is whether or not it is analogous to Ozempic, the corporate’s other semaglutide-based treatment first introduced in 2017. Novo Nordisk Philippines general manager Wei Sun told BusinessWorld that it is just not the identical, noting that Wegovy is indicated for weight management, while Ozempic is meant for type 2 diabetes.
The 2 also differ in dosage.
“Ozempic has a lower dose, which is good for diabetic patients, while Wegovy starts at a lower dose but (progresses) to higher doses,” Ms. Sun said in an interview on the sidelines of the Wegovy media launch.
“The interesting thing concerning the GLP-1 molecule is that the upper the dose, the greater the burden loss effect,” she added.
Wegovy is indicated for adults with obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) or those that are obese (BMI ≥27 kg/m²) with not less than one weight-related comorbidity, resembling diabetes.
It is run once weekly and should be used under a health care provider’s supervision.
Wegovy is approved by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a prescription medicine, with available semaglutide injection strengths of 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and a pair of.4 mg listed on its verification portal.
As for unintended effects, Ms. Sun said probably the most common are gastrointestinal, resembling nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, starting from mild to moderate, and should improve over time.
She added that the medication can be available in leading drugstores in Metro Manila, with rollout to key cities nationwide expected to follow. Pricing may vary per pharmacy, Ms. Sun said.— Edg Adrian A. Eva