- Semaglutide, a weight loss drug, showed promising results for treating obesity in recent research.
- Demand quickly exceeded supply after the FDA approved once-weekly semaglutide injections.
- However, some experts worry we don't yet understand the long term effects.
2021 was a historic year for obesity treatment. In June, the FDA approved the weight loss drug semaglutide, which many experts said was a "game changer."
The medication, initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes, is the first drug treatment to be FDA approved for weight management since 2014. Wegovy, the brand of semaglutide sold by Novo Nordisk, is a once-weekly injection that works by balancing out hunger hormones. It's prescribed for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, or a BMI of 27, with related conditions such as diabetes.
Semaglutide has been praised by obesity doctors and tech influencers alike, prompting such high demand, there were shortages within months of it entering the market.
While questions remain about its long-term effects, the drug made a major splash in healthcare this year, changing how experts and the public think about weight loss.
Research showed semaglutide helped people lose significant weight, as long as they were taking it
Semaglutide works by increasing the production of insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar.
Research published in early 2021 found that patients taking the drug lost 15-20% of their body weight over 68 weeks, compared to 2.4% in patients taking the placebo.
To keep the weight off, patients need to continue taking semaglutide. Another study showed that patients on semaglutide lost 10% of their body weight in 20 weeks, but regained nearly all of it after the treatment. In contrast, the study group that kept taking the drug went on to lose another 8% of their body weight.
The "miracle drug" gained traction thanks to venture capitalist Marc Andreessen
Semaglutide's study results were enough to warrant plenty of hype for obesity treatment. But it got a PR boost from Marc Andreessen, who called semaglutide a "silver bullet" and "miracle drug" for suppressing appetite.
Andreessen said on a "Lindy Talk" podcast episode in March that he had been taking Rybelsus, the brand-name tablet version of semaglutide from Novo Nordisk, for about 40 days.
"It just completely changes your relationship with food. You're just not hungry," he said.
The medication prompted such high demand it caused shortages
In late 2021, semaglutide became so popular that Novo Nordisk announced that it was unable to manufacture enough to fill prescriptions.
As of December, the company said shortages would likely continue until the second half of 2022.
The unprecedented demand is in part because more people than ever are interested in weight loss medication, according to Ted Kyle, an obesity healthcare professional. More than 70 percent of Wegovy prescriptions were for people who had never taken medication for obesity, Kyle reported on his blog, ConscienHealth.
Some experts expressed concern about long-term effects, however
Not everyone this year was a fan of semaglutide. Other experts (and some influencers) in weight and health cautioned that we don't understand how the drug may work long-term, or what side effects might occur.
"I get really concerned about a medication in which the method of action is putting the pancreas into overdrive," Rachael Hartley, a registered dietitian who specializes in intuitive eating, previously told Insider.
Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels also stirred up controversy by speaking out against the drug, arguing that weight loss with diet and exercise is "not hard to do" and preferable for your health.
Hartley said the semaglutide hype fits into a pattern of healthcare providers pathologizing people with larger bodies, rather than prioritizing people's health regardless of size.
"There's an assumption that if you're higher weight, you're doing something wrong, and frankly that's not true. Body diversity naturally exists," she said.