What is Wegovy?
Available only by prescription and sold under the brand name Wegovy, semaglutide's active ingredient belongs to a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. It’s used to assist in weight loss and weight management in certain obese and overweight adults and children aged 12 years and older [1, 2].
What Does Wegovy Do?
Wegovy works by producing a synthetic form of the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1, which the body naturally produces. This hormone regulates your appetite and blood sugar levels; the drug's resulting effect is to encourage the secretion of insulin while simultaneously inhibiting glucagon release and slowing the pumping of food out of your stomach and into your bowel so you feel full more quickly after eating. These effects lead to reduced calorie ingestion and body weight [1, 2].
Wegovy can be considered as an addition to a medication-assisted weight loss programme includes lifestyle changes, including a very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) and exercise. It can be prescribed to adults aged 18 or older diagnosed with obesity (a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher). It can also be prescribed to those with obesity (a BMI of 27 or higher) who have a weight-related condition, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia (elevated lipid or fat levels). It is also indicated for the treatment of obesity (a BMI high for age and sex) in children aged 12 years and older [3, 4].
Risk Factors of Wegovy
Wegovy, a prescription drug used for weight loss and weight management, comes with several risk factors that potential users should be aware of.
One of the most severe warnings for Wegovy is its association with thyroid C-cell tumours. This warning is based on findings from animal studies, showing that Wegovy caused thyroid C-cell tumours in animals. It is not known whether Wegovy causes thyroid C-cell tumours in humans. People with a history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), thyroid cancer that develops from C-cells, their families (particularly children), and those with a history of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2), a genetic condition associated with tumours in endocrine glands, need to avoid Wegovy [5].
Another is pancreatitis. Wegovy can cause pancreatitis, inflammation, and damage to the pancreas. This side effect can happen suddenly, without any warning. If you have a history of pancreatitis, your doctor must decide whether Wegovy suits your body [5].
Wegovy may also cause hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). If you have diabetes, you may be at higher risk of this side effect – so your doctor will probably monitor your blood sugar more closely while you’re on Wegovy [5].
In rare cases, Wegovy has caused kidney damage, including kidney failure. You may be at higher risk of this if you have chronic kidney disease [5].
If you have diabetic retinopathy, the use of Wegovy could worsen this problem. Therefore, your doctor might advise you to have your eye checked more often during treatment with Wegovy [5].
Suicidal thoughts or behaviours have been reported in studies of other weight-loss drugs. If you’ve had such feelings before, you’ll probably be better off with a different treatment for your weight [5].
Lastly, if you've had an allergic reaction to Wegovy or its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe it for you [5].
What Are Wegovy's Required Dosages?
Wegovy, a weight loss medication, is a liquid solution inside a single-use injection pen. The drug is injected under the skin, typically once per week.
Dosing Schedule:
The dosing schedule for adults and children aged 12 years and older is as follows:
The dosages are 0.25 mg once weekly in the first four weeks, 0.5 mg once weekly from week 5 to 8, 1 mg once weekly from week 9 to 12, 1.7 mg once weekly from week 13 up to 16, and –2.4 mg from week 17 onwards. The 2.4 mg is a maintenance dose [2, 3].
The pens are also available in formulations containing varying amounts: 0.25 mg per 0.5 mL of the solution, 0.5 mg/0.5 mL, 1.0 mg/0.5 mL, 1.7 mg/0.75 mL, and 2.4 mg/0.75 mL. [3, 4]
If the patient’s tolerance to the treatment is poor, with marked side effects at the 2.4 mg dose, then the standard dose may be reduced to 1.7 mg weekly. If the side effects persist, the dose would be reduced, or treatment would be stopped [3].
Can You Skip A Week of Wegovy?
Wegovy is a weight-loss (anti-obesity) treatment typically taken once a week. If you miss a dose of Wegovy and it’s less than 48 hours old, you should take the missed dose. If the next dose is less than 48 hours old, miss the dose and schedule the next dose as standard [3].
If you miss two doses of weekly Wegovy doses in a row, you should call your doctor, who can walk you through what to do and explore your options to get back on track [3].
However, it’s also worth remembering that Wegovy is meant to be a long-term treatment, and sticking to it is the key to its efficacy [3]. Therefore, missing a week almost certainly won’t impact the treatment, but falling into a regular pattern of dose-skipping or missing weeks will likely influence it.
To help you remember your Wegovy injections, consider using a medication reminder. You could set an alarm or download a reminder app on your phone [3].