Hypoglycemic drugs have been stir-fried by microbusinessmen

Saxenda, originally used to treat diabetes mellitus and severe obesity, has been packaged by microbusinessmen as a net-red weight-loss pen in the field of slimming, which has attracted wide attention of Americans since the second half of last year. Microbusinessmen claim that the weight-loss pen has passed the FDA certification, "No diet, no exercise, a needle a day, a month can lose up to 10 kilograms". Its price has also been stirred up to 2,000 to 3,000 yuan per unit (18mg), more than three times the retail price in Korea. But soon, the weight-loss pen was unveiled by professionals: the original ingredient was the diabetic antidiabetic drug, liraglutide. If people with normal blood sugar use it to lose weight, they will pay health costs, such as cancer, depression and so on.

At present, the net red weight-loss pen can be seen everywhere on the Internet, its shape resembles a ball-point pen, with white label on the blue pen and Saxenda printed on the label. Open the pen cap at one end and you can see the disposable needle.

According to microbusinessmen, the method of using weight-loss pens is to inject them subcutaneously at home every day. The injection location can be chosen from the abdomen (avoid around the navel and the upper and lower midline, should be 5 centimeters away), thigh (front lateral) or upper arm (back upper lateral), "no pain at all". For the above situation, diabetic patients must feel very familiar with the style and use of weight loss pen is more like their commonly used insulin injection pen.

According to microbusinessmen'propaganda, the greatest advantage of this weight-loss pen is "no diet, no exercise, no stomach-walking". Once a day, it can quickly lose weight, even reduce 10 kilograms per month. Saxenda is said to be the first weight-loss injection approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA), as well as a weight-loss product certified by FDA, CE and EMA of the European Union and MFDS of Korea. However, for the side effects of weight-loss pens, microbusinessmen choose to understate: adverse reactions may occur, including nausea, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting, which usually disappear in a few days or weeks, and not everyone is bound to appear. "If you feel nausea during use, you can eat less at every meal, stop eating when you are full, avoid eating food that makes you feel uncomfortable and its odor, etc., which can help to alleviate it." There are microbusinessmen on the Internet. It is reported that the retail price of a weight-loss pen (18mg) in China has reached 2000 yuan to 3000 yuan. The retail price of the same product in Korea is equivalent to about 800 yuan. 

According to public information, liraglutide is a hormone similar to GLP-1 that is used to treat diabetes mellitus. It was launched in China in 2011. This so-called weight-loss needle is essentially a hypoglycemic drug, and its usage and dosage are similar to those used in the treatment of diabetes. Novo Nord, which produces liraglutide, has experimented on more than 4,800 obese and non-diabetic people by adjusting doses, proving that liraglutide can help people lose some weight, and has developed Saxenda, a weight-loss needle with a higher dose of liraglutide, which is popular online.

This certification information about weight-loss needles shows that the product serves as a supplement to low-calorie diet and multi-exercise to help adults who need long-term weight management. It is suitable for obese, overweight patients who are facing at least one complication of obesity, such as hypertension and dyslipidemia. That is to say, Saxenda is a prescription drug (which must be prescribed by a doctor) and an adjuvant drug to help adults with obesity or some complications caused by obesity control their weight. Strictly speaking, it's not even a diet pill or an appetite suppressant at all.

It is reported that Saxenda had been opposed by the American Consumer Protection Association when applying for FDA certification in the United States. The American Consumer Consumption Association fears that the excessive use of this drug by consumers will increase the risk of thyroid cancer and pancreatitis. Saxenda carries a black-box warning that thyroid tumors (thyroid C-cell tumors) have been observed in Saxenda's rodent studies, but it is not clear whether Saxenda causes thyroid C-cell tumors in humans, including a thyroid adenoma called medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). Saxenda should not be used in patients with personal or family history of MTC, or in patients with multiple endocrinoma syndrome type 2 (a disease in which more than one adenoma occurs, which predisposes patients to MTC). At present, the FDA also requires the drug manufacturer to conduct an assessment of the potential breast cancer risk associated with the use of Saxenda. It is reported that severe side effects reported by Saxenda in the treatment of patients include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, renal dysfunction and suicidal ideation. Saxenda can also increase heart rate, and patients with increasing resting heart rate should stop taking medication. In clinical trials, the most common side effects observed in patients treated with Saxenda were nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting and hypoxemia.