1 Is the GLP-1 series more effective than the psychotropic series?
As Tesla CEO Elon Musk reportedly found Wegobee helpful in losing weight, a worldwide shortage of products occurred.
In response to a fan’s question asking the secret to losing 13 kg on social media in 2022, Tesla CEO Elon Musk answered, “Fasting and weight loss.” Hollywood star Kim Kardashian also successfully lost 7.5 kg in 3 weeks using WeGobee. The obesity treatment they used, Wigobi, is an injection based on semaglutide (ingredient name) developed by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. It mimics the glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) hormone to suppress appetite, increase satiety, and regulate blood sugar. GLP-1 is a hormone that increases insulin secretion, slows down digestion, and suppresses appetite.
Originally, the GLP-1 class of drugs was developed as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, but it has become valuable thanks to its weight loss effect. In recent years, GLP-1 type obesity treatment drugs have been receiving great attention due to shortages around the world. There are many reasons why GLP-1 type obesity treatments are popular compared to existing psychotropic obesity treatments. First of all, unlike existing psychotropic drugs, GLP-1 series treatments can be used long-term. In addition, when taking existing drugs, many people discontinued the drug due to discomfort such as sleep disturbance and palpitations, but it is easier to adapt to the GLP-1 series because there are no symptoms of stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. It is also helpful in weight loss and preventing yo-yoing.
2 Saxenda 7 times a week vs. Wegobi once a week, both made by the same pharmaceutical company
Saxenda, a representative GLP-1 type obesity treatment drug introduced by Novo Nordisk three years before WeGobee, gained sensational popularity immediately after its launch in Korea in 2018. WeGobee was officially launched in Korea on October 15 after receiving approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in April last year.
The two drugs, WeGobee and Saxenda, are GLP-1 receptor agonists and use the same mechanism, but their ingredients and duration in the body are different. The biggest difference is the half-life in the body. Saxenda lasts about 13 hours, while Ugobi lasts about 7 days. Saxenda contains ‘liraglutide’ and must be injected daily, but Wigobi contains ‘semaglutide’ and is administered once a week, which is not only convenient, but is also known to have a higher weight loss effect than Wigobi. However, while Saxenda has been approved for its safety and effectiveness in weight management in adolescents over 12 years of age, Wegobi is approved for use only in adults. This is because there is a lack of clinical data for adolescents regarding the ingredients and body reactions of Wigobi.
The price of Wigobi is more expensive than Saxenda. Currently, Saxenda costs in the low 100,000 won range per pen (one week’s supply). The domestic product supply price per pen of Wegobi is 372,025 won. The actual price, including distribution costs and prescription costs, varies depending on the hospital, clinic, or pharmacy. Usually, you can get it at pharmacies for around 400,000-500,000 won, and at hospitals and clinics, it’s around 700,000-800,000 won.
Although the price is expensive, some say it is reasonable considering the ease of use and effectiveness. Usually, a weight loss attempt is considered successful if it reduces more than 5% of the original weight. Since Wegobee has a success rate of more than 10% in weight loss, it is not unreasonable to set a weight loss goal of more than 10% if you treat obesity with this product. Therefore, it is receiving particularly good reviews from patients who feel that existing obesity treatments are not effective.
Mr. Jeong, who is about to get married next spring, said, “I had to take Saxenda every day, so I chose WeGobee because I was worried that there might be injection marks. I got a prescription for non-face-to-face treatment through the app and got it directly from the pharmacy, and I got a 3-pen WeGobee ( It cost around 1.3 million won, including 3 months’ supply and medical expenses. “If there is a clear effect in a short period of time, it is worth investing in,” he said. This is because, “I was planning to take an appetite suppressant anyway and undergo procedures such as fat-dissolving injections, so if weight loss is better, there is not much difference in cost.”
3 What if a person who is not fat uses WeGobee?
Like all medicines, Wigobi has side effects, and since it is so effective, careful use is required. WeGobi is effective when used over a certain period of time, and if you stop taking it, your appetite may increase again and you may gain weight. Above all, as Wigobi has recently gone viral as a ‘miracle obesity treatment’, concerns have been raised about the risk of abuse. Originally, Wigobi was used for adult obese patients with an initial body mass index (BMI) of 30kg/m2 or more, and adults with a BMI of 27kg/m2 or more but less than 30kg/m2 and one or more weight-related comorbidities such as high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, or type 2 diabetes. It is prescribed for obese patients.
However, after its launch in Korea, reviews of people succeeding in obtaining medication through non-face-to-face prescriptions are coming up one after another in the Internet community even if they do not meet the BMI standard. In response, the Korean Medical Association expressed concern about the risk of indiscriminate misuse through non-face-to-face prescriptions, saying, “Wegobi is a prescription drug that must be prescribed based on BMI as it can cause side effects such as gallstones, hair loss, indigestion, and pancreatitis.” This is because the clinical study itself to obtain approval for Wigobi as an obesity treatment only targeted patients with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or higher or 27 kg/m2 or higher and who had concomitant diseases. When administering medication to patients outside this range, the response cannot be said to be the same as the response in clinical studies. The Korean Society of Obesity said, “When using incretin-based anti-obesity drugs such as GLP-1 for purposes such as cosmetics in addition to the indications, you may experience side effects rather than obtain the therapeutic effect of the drug, which may increase the risk of hospitalization in a medical institution or death.” “He warned.
In fact, there are problems with side effects depending on the dosage. Recently, according to the international academic journal ‘Cureus’, there was a case in which an American man in his 70s died after being hospitalized with acute pancreatitis after increasing his semaglutide dose. The research team analyzed, “After increasing the drug to 0.5 mg, this patient experienced side effects such as severe vomiting, nausea, and constipation, and then reduced the dose again to 0.25 mg, but it appears that acute pancreatitis occurred because he could not tolerate the high dose of semaglutide.” did it In the UK, it was also reported that a patient who did not meet the requirements for semaglutide developed pancreatitis after using it for cosmetic purposes. In Korea, as the number of buyers who do not meet the BMI standards for Wegobi prescriptions has increased, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is reviewing whether to restrict non-face-to-face prescriptions for Wegobi.
So what is a more effective and safe way to use WeGobee? First, it must meet the prescription criteria. Also, when using WeGobee, it is very important to manage diet and exercise appropriately. In particular, a protein-centered diet and regular aerobic exercise are effective. Kim Jeong-eun, head of the 365mc All New Gangnam branch, said, “As for the treatment period, gradually increase the dose of the drug, but since the period until the maintenance dose is 16 weeks, it is better to consider administration for more than 16 to 20 weeks as a basic rule.” “When discontinuing treatment, we recommend gradually reducing the dosage or implementing a lifestyle improvement program in parallel, and proceeding systematically through consultation with medical staff,” he advised.
4 Is Maunjaro stronger than Wigobi, which is scheduled to be released in Korea next year?
Eli Lilly’s Maunjaro, known to be effective in both blood sugar control and weight loss, received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in August and is scheduled to be released in Korea next year. Wegobi is known to have an average weight loss effect of 14.9% based on 68 weeks of administration. Like WeGobee, Maunjaro, an injection administered once a week, is a dual agonist for GLP-1 and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide), and has received great attention from the academic community by showing a 22% weight loss effect over 72 weeks. there is. Experts predict that because the two drugs have slightly different mechanisms of action, they will be able to provide more customized treatment options depending on the patient’s condition in the future.
#We Gobee #Saxenda #Obesity #Women Donga
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Photo source Korea Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical Elon Musk SNS capture
* What are the potential long-term consequences of widespread use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, both for individuals and society as a whole?
## Open-Ended Questions for Discussion
This article raises many interesting points about GLP-1 drugs like Wegobee and Saxenda for weight loss. Here are some open-ended questions to stimulate discussion and explore different viewpoints:
**Section 1: Effectiveness and Accessibility of Wegobee**
* What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of Wegobee’s once-a-week dosage compared to daily injections like Saxenda?
* Some individuals who don’t meet the BMI criteria are using Wegobee for weight loss. What are the ethical implications of this, and how should we address it?
* Should Wegobee be more accessible and affordable, given its high cost and potential effectiveness?
**Section 2: Safety Concerns and Side Effects**
* The article mentions side effects like pancreatitis and the risk of misuse. Should these concerns deter individuals from using Wegobee, or are the potential benefits worth the risks?
* How can healthcare professionals and individuals work together to minimize the risk of side effects and misuse?
**Section 3: Comparison to Other Options and Future of Obesity Treatments**
* How does the impending release of Maunjaro, with its higher reported weight loss effect, change the landscape of obesity treatment?
* What are the potential benefits and challenges of having multiple GLP-1 drugs on the market?
* Considering the rapid advancement in obesity treatments, what role should lifestyle changes and other weight management strategies play?
**Section 4: Ethical and Societal Implications**
* The article mentions Wegobee being used for cosmetic purposes. Is this ethical, and how can we ensure responsible use of these medications?
* What are the broader societal implications of medications like Wegobee becoming more widely available for weight loss?
**General Discussion:**
* What are your personal thoughts on the use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss? What are your biggest concerns or questions?
* How do you think the conversation around obesity and weight loss should evolve in light of these new treatments?
These questions are designed to encourage a nuanced and thoughtful discussion about the complex issues surrounding GLP-1 drugs and their role in addressing obesity.
