The pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk confirmed this Thursday (25/4) that it will launch Wegovy in Brazil in the second half of 2024. The medicine has the same active ingredient as Ozempic, semaglutide, but in doses that can be five times larger, ranging from 1 to 2.4 mg.
Unlike Ozempic, which is prescribed for type 2 diabetes and used by people to lose weight “off label”, Wegovy has a prescription on the leaflet for the treatment of obesity and overweight.
In clinical studies, the medication managed to reverse obesity in half of the volunteers who used it continuously. The drug was also able to reduce the risk of serious cardiac events, such as heart attack and stroke, by 20% in volunteers.
Approved by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) in January 2023, the initial forecast was that Wegovy would start to be sold later that year. The pharmaceutical company, however, was unable to meet expectations due to production difficulties.
Semaglutide pens are indicated for the treatment of diabetes and, depending on the dose, obesity
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Ozempic’s drop in lean mass worries older users
They work by mimicking hormones that regulate blood sugar and decrease appetite
reproduction
Ozempic and similar products will be investigated for generating suicidal thoughts Weight loss injections will be analyzed in Europe for having a possible link with cases of deep depression and self-harm
The weight loss effect led to the medication being used “off label”
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