Wegovy, when used together with diet and physical activity, helps people to lose weight and keep their weight under control. Due to the nature of Wegovy, it is only licensed with, who have:
- a BMI of 30 kg/m² or greater or
- a BMI of at least 27 kg/m² but less than 30 kg/m² who have weight-related health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal levels of fats in the blood, or a history of heart attacks
BMI (body mass index) is a measure of your weight in relation to your height. Wegovy is available as pre-filled pens containing a solution for injection. It is injected once a week under the skin in the abdomen, thigh or upper arm.
To reduce the risk of symptoms affecting the gut, the weekly dose starts at 0.25 mg and increases gradually over 16 weeks to 2.4 mg. Patients can administer the medicine themselves. They can also change the injection site and the day of the weekly injection. For the latter, the new day should be at least 3 days after the previous day for the injection.
Although obesity and overweight are associated with resistance to the plasma glucose-lowering actions of insulin, many other metabolic pathways remain responsive to insulin. The incretin GLP-1, through its receptor, increases survival of β cells and inhibits their apoptosis. Plasma concentrations of GLP-1 analogues are not increased in people with obesity or overweight and are, in fact, decreased in people with severe obesity. However, the insulin response to nutrient ingestion in such people is increased, suggesting that, as with glucose and non-esterified fatty acids, the β cell might become more responsive to the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists to modulate insulin secretion. GLP-1 receptor agonists such as liraglutide and semaglutide stimulate postprandial insulin secretion, reduce glucagon secretion, delay gastric emptying, and induce weight loss through reduction of hunger and consequent food intake. It can also increase the feeling of fullness in patients, and reduce feelings of cravings.