Ozempic and Wegovy are taking the weight loss world by storm. Does the reality live up to the marketing hype?
The new kids on the weight loss drug block all belong to a class called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, incretin mimetics, or GLP-1 analogs. They include:
- Exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon)
- Lixisenatide (Lyxumia, Adlyxin)
- Liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda)
- Albiglutide (Eperzan, Tanzeum)
- Dulaglutide (Trulicity)
- Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy)
GLP-1 agonists were originally approved to treat type 2 diabetics who do not achieve adequate blood glucose control on metformin, or cannot tolerate it.
Semaglutide and high-dose liraglutide subsequently received FDA approval as pharmacologic treatments for obesity, and to treat overweight patients with weight-related comorbidities.
