Doctors in the UAE have welcomed the news that anti-obesity drug Wegovy is set to become available as a pill as well as an injection, but have cautioned that it should only be taken under expert medical supervision.
Wegovy is one of the new wave medications that in recent years have had a huge impact on people looking to lose weight.
Earlier this week the US Food and Drug Administration approved the US release of a pill version of the drug, which is set to become the first daily oral medication to combat obesity.
The UAE medicines regulator, the Emirates Drug Establishment, has yet to give the medication the green light for sale in the emirates.
Dr Ali Aldibbiat, a consultant in diabetes and endocrinology at Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai Healthcare City, said that since the release, earlier this year, of trial data for the medication, “the anticipation for the oral Wegovy pill has been mounting”.
Encouraging results
“We never had a weight-loss pill that can lead to such a large weight loss, reaching an average of 16.6 per cent,” he said.
“What is even more exciting is that the new Wegovy pill is an oral form of semaglutide, a molecule that has a well-established and robust legacy of safety and efficacy.
“The FDA approval is confirmation of the great value of the oral Wegovy pill in obesity management, and certainly represents a step closer to our patients in the UAE having access to this innovative treatment.”
Novo Nordisk, the Danish company behind Wegovy, said earlier this week that the medication achieved long-term weight reductions and “reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events”.
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