Weight problems: “Wegovy is revolutionizing sufferers’ lives and can be much more efficient!” says Professor Antoine Avignon

2024-06-22 17:31:00

Is Wegovy, the brand new weight problems remedy, actually as efficient as imagined? For Antoine Avignon, head of the dietary diabetes crew at Montpellier College Hospital, the reply is sure. Medical doctors are extra optimistic that different promising drug remedies will quickly be out there, whereas demand for care continues to develop: Practically one in two folks in France is obese or overweight, based on analysis revealed by Oféo Thursday, June 20 , Nationwide Alliance Towards Weight problems.

Antoine Avignon is an endocrinologist on the College Hospital of Montpellier and one of many leaders of the group. Middle for Specialised Weight problems (CSO) Occitanie Est will arrange its tenth Territory Day occasion for well being professionals on June 28 at Montpellier Metropolis Corridor, registration is free.

Endocrinologist Professor Antoine Avignon is head of the dietary diabetes crew at Montpellier College Hospital. ML

Does new anti-obesity drug Wegovy ship on all its guarantees?

We regularly hear plenty of detrimental information regarding weight problems remedies. I consider we’re within the midst of a rupture, a revolution in supporting overweight folks.

Weight problems have to be acknowledged as a illness, however it’s a disreputable, stigmatized illness, and so far there is no such thing as a medical remedy.

There we’ve remedies which might be efficient, which might be properly tolerated, which have demonstrated useful results on cardiovascular problems, on survival… To me, that is an actual revolution, I actually Would like to combat alongside it. These medicines are the identical as these used to deal with diabetes, however in larger doses.

Is that precisely what it’s?

Sure, Wegovy is a type of semaglutide used to deal with kind 2 diabetes, offered below the model identify Ozempic.

The dosage is 1 mg apart from diabetics and a pair of.4 mg for overweight folks. It is the identical molecule. So, certainly, there’s a craze in international locations like the USA, and France too. However in France this isn’t out there.

Not even when we observe protocol on the Weight problems Specialist Middle?

Right now it’s merely now not out there.

As a result of collapse of some drug chain or on account of administrative causes?

We had him at Montpellier for a yr as a part of what we referred to as the early entry program. That’s, even when the laboratory and the medical insurance don’t agree on the phrases of use, because of the modification, use might be made in specialised facilities.

As a consequence of worldwide tensions over these merchandise, early entry was blocked, not by medical insurance firms however by laboratories, which most popular to produce different international locations.

“We won’t simply abandon them”

Have your sufferers been examined?

We have now 413 sufferers prescribed this drug. For many of them, it was a revolution. Some folks discover mobility once more, discover themselves at work… I consider a gentleman who misplaced 50 kilograms and confirmed new motivation in his profession. There are a lot of folks like this. Conversion occurred in most sufferers.

Fortuitously, these folks will be capable to proceed receiving remedy till the top of September 2024. We won’t simply abandon them.

It is as if we got remedy for diabetes or bronchial asthma, however in a single day we determined we have been now not treating sufferers in the simplest method. This all goes to point out the extent to which weight problems is being questioned.

How does Wigovi work?

Overweight folks typically have issue feeling hungry and glad. This remedy makes them really feel much less hungry and helps them really feel full. It might additionally fight the consequences of so-called emotional consuming.

Is that this the proper drug with no unwanted effects?

I am not saying it is excellent. That is very helpful.

Most unwanted effects are delicate, with nausea and vomiting occurring in 8% to 10% of individuals, and a really uncommon threat of pancreatitis.

Prevalence continues to increase.

Is that this the one attention-grabbing drug right now?

By no means, there can be one thing simpler! Tirzépatide is already out there in the USA and can be offered in France below the identify Mounjaro. It is a molecule that has the identical impact as Wegovy, however otherwise: Wegovy acts as a digestive tract hormone, whereas Tirzepatide acts as each of its hormones, extra successfully.

There are additionally simpler molecules being examined, reminiscent of retarglutide, which may obtain 25% weight reduction. With Wegovy, the common weight reduction is – 16% to – 17%. With Tirzépatide Mounjaro we exceed – 20%.

‘This isn’t the top of bariatric surgical procedure’

Is that this the primary time you’ve such excessive hopes?

Sure, we’ve certainly made breakthroughs in treating weight problems. There have been some attention-grabbing molecules, however in the end they’ve severe unwanted effects, each on the cardiovascular stage and in melancholy… Reassuringly, this time we began with molecules which might be used to deal with diabetes.

If we return to Wegovy, research within the largest journals just like the New England Journal of Medication present a discount in cardiovascular occasions.

So is weight problems surgical procedure over?

No, as a result of they will complement one another. However there are occasions once we fail. We revealed a examine exhibiting that Wegovy was equally efficient in sufferers who failed bariatric surgical procedure and in sufferers who didn’t bear surgical procedure.

There are additionally individuals who do not reply to remedy, and individuals who want surgical procedure following remedy. This is not the top of bariatric surgical procedure, however moderately a matter of positioning remedies which might be extra complementary than rivals.

However we’re nonetheless caught within the remedy realm.

Greater than ever, we should proceed to have interdisciplinary remedy for weight problems, together with nutritionists, presumably adaptive train… to extend the possibilities of restoration?

definitely. We have observed that individuals who make an effort to keep up a balanced eating regimen lose extra weight than those that do not make an effort to take their medicines. As a way to profit from remedy, candidates should comply with signal a multidisciplinary remedy plan. They have to be suggested. However we aren’t taking steps to restrict entry to care.

Isn’t the message that “weight problems is a illness” you reiterated in your preface nonetheless getting by way of?

No, I do not assume so, it is nonetheless an enormous disgrace.

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