Diabetes Drug May Help Overweight Patients Lose Weight

Obesity is a chronic disease and a significant global health challenge. It has been designed to treat type 2 diabetes but it has also been approved under the label Saxenda as a weight-loss treatment.

Scientists have made an wonderful discovery that high doses of this drug could blast the weight away in patients who are struggling from diabetes and obesity. However, weight loss is challenging for type 2 diabetes patients as they often show reduced response to weight-management pharmacotherapies compared with individuals without diabetes.

A new study has found liraglutide helps patients battle diabetes and shed large amounts of weight with higher doses, although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to stand in its way, according to HealthDay News.

Participants experienced more gastrointestinal problems with liraglutide 3.0 mg, as compared with the 1.8-mg dose and placebo.

Design, Setting, and Participants Fifty-six-week randomized (2:1:1), double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial with 12-week observational off-drug follow-up period. This was in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity.

At baseline, participants in the liraglutide 3.0-mg group weighed 105.7 kg, those in the liraglutide 1.8-mg group weighed 105.8 kg and those in the placebo group weighed 106.5 kg, the researchers reported. Weight loss greater than 10 percent occurred in 25.2 percent with liraglutide (3.0 mg) and 15.9 percent with liraglutide (1.8 mg) vs 6.7 percent with placebo. About 54% of patients taking liraglutide 3 mg and 40% of patients taking liraglutide 1.8 mg saw weight loss of 5% or more, compared with about 21% of those receiving placebo. Pancreatitis was not reported.

The report quotes Dr. Joel Zonszein of the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, who said that it’s the first study to look into how effective liraglutide is for type 2 diabetes sufferers when it comes to weight management for the higher dosage.

“In the present trial, liraglutide (3.0 mg), as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, was effective and generally well tolerated and was significantly better than placebo on all 3 co-primary weight-related end points”.

Unfortunately, though, the researchers also say, “We can prescribe up to 1.8 mg for diabetes, that is the highest dose, but insurance companies will not approve the 3 mg-dose for diabetes”, and “Further studies are needed to evaluate longer-term efficacy and safety”.