Higher doses of semaglutide aid weight loss in Indians too: Lancet study

Higher doses of semaglutide may help lower blood sugar levels and help with weight loss, finds a new study published in THE Hand.

Currently, the highest approved dose of oral semaglutide prescribed is 14 mg.

The study is also the first to include Indian subjects as a caveat.

SUITED speak to Dr KP Singh, director of endocrinology at Fortis Hospital Mohali and the researcher on this study.

Talking with SUITED on some of the key parameters of the study, says Dr. KP Singh,

• The study was conducted over five years.

• It was a multinational study conducted in nine countries in Asia, Europe and North America, including India.

• The study involved 709 participants of which 216 participants were from India.

• Pregnant and nursing women were excluded from the study.

• Study participants were given one tablet once a day for 68 weeks, along with a lifestyle intervention.

• This is the first time high doses of semaglutide (25 mg and 50 mg) have been tested in clinical trials.

• This study found that the drug in higher doses could help with up to 15 percent weight loss over a 68-week period.

• More than two-thirds of study participants achieved at least 10 percent weight loss.

And the side effects?

The study found that about 92 percent of study participants experienced adverse effects, compared with 86 percent in the placebo group.

Although injectable semaglutide (the most popular type is Ozempic) is not available in India, oral semaglutide has been available in India for over a year. It is available in strengths of 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg.

However, they are only prescribed for specific cases of diabetes.

For one, semaglutide in India can only be prescribed by an endocrinologist, according to the Drugs Control General of India. Also, they can only be prescribed to treat uncontrolled type 2 diabetes in adults.

Also, oral semaglutide pills are not cheap in India, priced at Rs 300 per pill. Considering you have to take the pill every day, the bill could be as high as Rs 10,000 a month.

In India, the drug, in both injectable and oral forms, is not approved for weight loss in people who don’t have diabetes.

“Some people take it off the label, but we can’t prescribe them by law,” says Dr. Singh.

However, the positive results of studies like this warrant its approval, he adds.

Since the whole frenzy around Ozempic and semaglutides for weight loss started online, its demand has increased. But experts are cautious.

According to experts, that SUITED he spoke, because of these possible side effects, using it just for weight loss just doesn’t seem to be worth the risk.

Although, Dr. Singh says, “we didn’t see hypoglycemia in our study participants.”

Dr. Singh believes we are only scratching the surface when it comes to the potential benefits of semaglutide. However, they remain to be tested in clinical trials.

“We are also testing semaglutide in other ailments such as cardiovascular problems and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It’s too early to tell, but they are showing promise,” says Dr. Singh.