Semaglutide (Wegovy) - A New Treatment for Weight Loss. 20 minute Drug Review.

This video reviews the new use of the drug semalgutide (Wegovy) for the treatment of weight loss in obese and overweight individuals. Semaglutide is given as a once a week injection under the skin. Semaglutide is also known by the brand name Ozempic which is used for Type 2 diabetes. Semaglutide is an injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It acts as an incretin hormone that plays a role in appetite, digestion, gastric emptying, and satiety. Dosage should be slowly titrated upward to avoid gastrointestinal side effects. Instructions on how to administer the drug via a pen device will be covered. Semaglutide should not be used by anyone with a family history of thyroid cancer. In clinical studies, semaglutide resulted in a 15% decrease in body weight from baseline. The drug is expensive, with a monthly cost of $1300.