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Tag: GLP-1 medications

  • Wegovy is now available as a pill. Here’s what you need to know

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    (CNN) — Americans seeking to lose weight now have a new option – taking Wegovy as a daily pill, rather than a weekly injection.

    Patients with a prescription could obtain the starter 1.5 mg dose of the tablet as of Monday, with the higher doses becoming available by the end of the week, according to manufacturer Novo Nordisk.

    Being able to address obesity with a GLP-1 pill is a significant advance in weight management. Eli Lilly is expected to receive US Food and Drug Administration approval for its oral medication, which is called orforglipron until it receives a brand name, by summer.

    But the arrival of an oral option has also sparked a multitude of questions. Here’s what we know:

    Where can I get the Wegovy pill?

    The tablet form of Wegovy can be found at pharmacies, including CVS and Costco, certain telehealth providers, such as Ro and LifeMD and Weight Watchers, NovoCare Pharmacy, GoodRx and other locations.

    Will it be hard to find?

    While overwhelming demand led to initial shortages of the GLP-1 injections, Novo Nordisk said it is confident that it can meet the demand for the Wegovy tablet.

    The Danish drug maker noted that it has invested in its manufacturing capabilities for several years. The Wegovy pill is produced entirely in its North Carolina facilities.

    How much will the pill cost?

    The 1.5 mg starter dose of the pill costs $149 a month for patients who pay cash, as part of a recent deal Novo Nordisk made with the Trump administration. The 4 mg dose costs the same amount until April 15, after which the price will increase to $199.

    However, the 9 mg and 25 mg doses cost $299 a month.

    That compares to a $349 monthly price tag for the injectable version for self-pay consumers, though new patients can receive two months of the lowest two doses for $199 each until March.

    Patients whose insurance plans cover the drug for obesity could pay as little as $25 a month for the pill or injection under a savings program offered by Novo Nordisk.

    How is the pill different from the injection?

    The pill uses the same active ingredient, semaglutide, as the injection. They’re approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the same groups of people: those with obesity, typically defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher, and those with overweight, or a BMI of 27 or more along with a weight-related health issue such as high blood pressure.

    The main difference between the two is how you take them – as a daily pill versus a weekly shot. The pill also must be taken on an empty stomach, with a small amount of water and no other food, drink or medicines for at least 30 minutes.

    The medicine won’t be effective if patients don’t wait 30 minutes to give the tablet time to absorb, according to Novo Nordisk.

    How much weight could I lose?

    The Wegovy tablet and injection resulted in similar weight loss in clinical trials.

    The pill showed average weight loss of 14% over 64 weeks, compared with 2% for a placebo. The injection showed weight loss of 15% in its key trial, versus 2% for placebo.

    Eli Lilly’s orforglipron showed 11% weight loss over 72 weeks on its highest dose, compared with 2% for the placebo group. Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s injectable weight loss drug, showed weight loss of 21% on its highest dose, compared with 3% for those on a placebo.

    What are the side effects of the Wegovy pill?

    Like all medicines in the class known as GLP-1s, the Wegovy pill is also associated with side effects such as nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea. The pill and injection had similar tolerability in clinical trials.

    Should I consider switching from the injection to the pill?

    That depends on your specific circumstances, doctors say. If you’re someone who’d prefer a daily pill to a weekly shot, and can deal with delaying food, drink and other medications for 30 minutes after taking the Wegovy pill, it might be the right choice. Others may prefer the simplicity of a weekly injection, if they don’t mind needles.

    Dr. Jorge Moreno, an obesity specialist with Yale Medicine, said a switch to the pill may be a consideration for people who’ve experienced more tolerability issues with the injections.

    “If patients have not tolerated the injection or are having a tough time going up on the dose, they may opt to switch to the Wegovy pill,” Moreno told CNN.

    Dr. Judith Korner, an endocrinologist and director of the Metabolic and Weight Control Center at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, pointed out that the weekly injections might be “a bit longer-lasting,” and so any uncomfortable side effects patients experience “may last longer than if you take a pill” as well, where “if you really don’t like the way you feel you don’t take it the next day.”

    If you miss a dose of the pill, that dose should be skipped, and the next dose should be taken the following day.

    Both doctors emphasized that cost also plays a large role in decision-making.

    “Insurance coverage is still hard to predict at this point,” Moreno said. “I am hopeful with lower costs for the Wegovy pill, more insurances will opt to cover it.”

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    Tami Luhby, Meg Tirrell and CNN

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  • Nearly half of people with diabetes don’t know they have it, new study finds

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    (CNN) — When was the last time you had your blood sugar checked? It might be worth looking into, a new study says.

    Forty-four percent of people age 15 and older living with diabetes are undiagnosed, so they don’t know they have it, according to data analysis published Monday in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

    The study looked at data from 204 countries and territories from 2000 to 2023 in a systematic review of published literature and surveys. The findings at the global level are for people age 15 and older.

    “The majority of people with diabetes that we report on in the study have type 2 diabetes,” said Lauryn Stafford , the lead author of the study.

    Around 1 in 9 adults live with diabetes worldwide, according to the International Diabetes Foundation. In the United States, 11.6% of Americans have diabetes, according to 2021 data from the American Diabetes Association.

    “We found that 56% of people with diabetes are aware that they have the condition,” said Stafford, a researcher for the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. “Globally, there’s a lot of variation geographically, and also by age. So, generally, higher-income countries were doing better at diagnosing people than low- and middle-income countries.”

    Younger people don’t know they have diabetes

    People under 35 years were much less likely to be diagnosed if they had diabetes than people in middle age or older. Just “20% of young adults with diabetes were aware of their condition,” Stafford said.

    Routine screenings aren’t promoted as much for young adults as for older adults. Many larger organizations, like the American Diabetes Association, suggest annual routine screenings for adults 35 and older.

    “You can survive with elevated glucose levels for many, many years,” Stafford said. “People end up getting diagnosed with diabetes only at the point where they have complications,” which are more common in older adults.

    Depending on how long a person has had diabetes before it’s discovered, the health impacts may vary.

    “Diagnosing diabetes early is important because it allows for timely management to prevent or delay long-term complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage, and vision loss,” said Rita Kalyani, chief scientific and medical officer at the American Diabetes Association. She was not involved in the study.

    Around one-third of adults are diagnosed with diabetes later than their earliest symptom, according to a 2018 study.

    What symptoms should you look for?

    “Symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst or hunger, frequent urination, blurry vision, unexpected weight loss, and fatigue. However, in the early stages, most people with diabetes are asymptomatic, which highlights the importance of screening and diagnosis,” said Kalyani, a professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at Johns Hopkins University.

    If you experience any of these symptoms or have a history of diabetes in your family, experts recommend you get a glucose screening.

    Globally, in 2023, about 40% of people with treated diabetes were getting optimal results and lowering their blood sugar, said Stafford. That’s why it’s important that future efforts focus on ensuring that more people receive and follow proper treatment post-diagnosis.

    That only 4 in 10 patients were seeing optimal results was surprising, as several well-established treatments, including insulin, Metformin and other drugs like GLP-1s, are available.

    People with diabetes likely also have other health issues, such as hypertension or chronic kidney disease, which can make treatment complex, Stafford added.

    Can you prevent diabetes?

    It depends.

    While there is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes, there are many ways to prevent the more common form of type 2 diabetes.

    Reducing the amount of red and processed meats you eat can help lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, as previously reported by CNN. You could do this with a Mediterranean diet or by introducing more plant-based foods to your meals.

    In addition, limit the amount of ultraprocessed foods you eat, adding more whole foods, like fruits and nuts, instead.

    Incorporating physical activity into your regular routine can also decrease your risk of developing not only diabetes but also other chronic diseases. Fast walking for at least 15 minutes a day is just one form of exercise you can do.

    “I think, ultimately, if we can also focus more on the risk factors for developing diabetes — preventing people from needing to be diagnosed in the first place — that is also critical,” Stafford said.

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    Gina Park and CNN

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