Wegovy, a weight loss medication manufactured by Novo Nordisk quickly sold out its initial stocks in the United States shortly after receiving FDA approval.
Novo Nordisk reported a 15 percent increase in company sales in Q3, after introducing Wegovy, because of the popularity of the medication.
“In the US, the initial demand for Wegovy has significantly exceeded our expectations, underscoring the high unmet need for people living with obesity,” said Novo Nordisk Chief Executive Officer Lars Fruergaard Jrgensen.
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Initial studies indicated that the use of Wegovy by obese subjects resulted in an approximate 15-percent reduction in weight over 12 months.
Wegovy acts as a natural hormone in the body that acts on your brain to regulate patient’s appetite and food intake. By acting like GLP-1, Wegovy lowers your appetite and how much food patients need to eat to help them lose weight.
The typical starting dose is 0.25 mg injected under the skin once a week for 4 weeks (1 month). Patients will use a higher dose every 4 weeks until you reach a maintenence dose of 2.4 mg once a week.
After about 1 year (68 weeks), people who took the maintenance dose of Wegovy (semaglutide) along with a lower-calorie diet and exercise lost an average of 10% to 16% of their starting body weight compared to those following a lower-calorie diet and exercise plan only.
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The site GoodRX gives important tips on the use of Wegovy, which are as follows:
- To get the best results, it’s recommended that you take Wegovy (semaglutide) along with a lower-calorie diet and exercise.
- Inject Wegovy (semaglutide) under your skin on the same day each week. Marking the day of the week on your calendar can help you remember when you should take your dose. You can change the day of the week you take Wegovy (semaglutide) as long as your last dose was at least 2 days ago.
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- Keep Wegovy (semaglutide) in the original box in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use the medication. Don’t freeze the pens. Throw away the pen if it has been frozen, has been exposed to light or temperatures higher than 86ºF, or has been out of the refrigerator for 28 days or longer.
- Before starting Wegovy (semaglutide), carefully read the instructions on how to inject the medication correctly.
- Wash your hands before and after every injection. Clean the area you’ll be injecting into with an alcohol swab or soap and water before each use. This helps prevent infection and disease.
- Inject Wegovy (semaglutide) into the outer side of your thigh or into your lower stomach (at least 2 inches away from your belly button). Your caregiver can also help you inject the medication into the outer side of your upper arm.
- Don’t inject Wegovy (semaglutide) into the same area of skin every time. Rotating your injection sites each time lowers your risk of skin irritation, which can feel like hard lumps under your skin. Also avoid injecting into skin that’s tender, bruised, red, hard, scarred, or has stretch marks to prevent skin irritation.
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- Throw away the pen right away after each use into a sharps disposal container. This prevents accidental needle sticks and injury.
- Your dose will be raised slowly every 4 weeks to lower your risk of stomach side effects (e.g., nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, or stomach pain). Let your healthcare provider know if your stomach problems don’t go away or worsen. Your provider might lower your dose or tell you to stop the medication.
- Don’t take other medications containing semaglutide or other GLP-1 agonists. This can raise your risk of side effects, including stomach problems and low blood sugar.
The lowest GoodRx price for the most common version of Wegovy is around $1,319.34, 41% off the average retail price of $2,262.84.
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