Saxenda: An Overview Of One Of The NHS Weight Loss Pills

Saxenda is an NHS weight loss pillrecommended by the National Institute of Health and Care for adults in England,making it the first pharmacotherapy for weight management in almost a decade.Indications are obesity and other risk factors in adult patients. The drug,also known as liraglutide 3mg, is produced by Novo Nordisk and was approved formarketing in Europe in 2015 and launched in the UK two years later. The drughas been available privately since then, and in June 2020, High Street pharmacyLloyds Pharmacy began offering it as part of a weight loss program. However,NICE's recommendations greatly increased the number of patients who benefited.

Why choose Saxenda as one of theNHS weight loss pills？

Eligible patients have been able tobuy the weight loss drug orlistat over the counter since 2009. This drug worksby interfering with the way fat is digested and helps many people lose weight.However, it is known for its unappealing side effects, including oily stoolsand diarrhea. New treatments are clearly needed. Obesity in the UK has almostdoubled in the past 20 years. Unfortunately, this issue has been highlightedduring the Covid-19 pandemic. Public Health England estimates that people with aBMI over 35 have a 40% increased risk of dying from Covid-19, and those with aBMI over 40 have a 90% increased risk of dying from Covid-19.

How does Saxenda work as one of theNHS weight loss pills？

Saxenda is a once-daily injectablemedication that works by suppressing appetite. It shares 97% similarity withglucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone released after food intake thatproduces satiety. "We all make this hormone naturally, but if you have adisease of obesity, you don't have enough," explains le roux. This proteinbinds to receptors in the pancreas, instructing the body to make insulin at theright time and in the right amount. It binds to receptors in parts of the brainthat control hunger, ensuring that obese people suddenly feel more satisfied.It also helps regulate blood pressure and reduce inflammation.

"When you put all these thingstogether, obese people feel more and more hungry and are prevented from gettingtype 2 diabetes," Le Rox said. "You reduce the complications ofobesity and other diseases." Because this is a natural peptide, it needsto be injected subcutaneously to avoid being broken down by stomach acid.However, the device is simple to use and most potential side effects aregastrointestinal and transient. It will be used in specialist NHS weight losspills, as well as in lifestyle-based interventions.

How does this particular NHS weightloss pill help patients？

The drug will work for people witha body mass index of 35 or higher (in some minorities, a body mass index of 32.5or higher). To be eligible for treatment on the NHS, patients must also be athigh risk for prediabetes and cardiovascular disease, depending on risk factorssuch as high blood pressure and cholesterol.

"It won't be a diet pill, buta health-enhancing pill," explains Le Roux. "The health benefits thatNICE wants to see are reducing people's risk of developing type 2 diabetes,while reducing their cardiovascular risk and improving their quality of life.We will be responsible for prescribing." We don't tell patients that itwill make them slim and happy because it doesn't, we tell patients that it willmake them healthier and more functional. "

In clinical trials, patients takingSaxenda lost more weight and were less likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetesthan the placebo group (3 percent versus 11 percent in the control group).While not everyone responds to the medication, those who do tend to lose asignificant portion of their weight.

"The patient has a one-thirdchance of having a biological response to the drug," Le Roux said."If we look at those who respond, that is, those who lose 5 percent oftheir weight over 12 weeks, they lose double-digit weight. If we go a littledeeper, a third lose 10 percent. Above weight, which is about 2 stone (about0.9 kg), one in seven people will lose 15% of their body weight, or about 3stone (about 0.9 kg). This is really important."

"Thirty years ago, if you haddepression, people would tell you to cheer up, but now we see depression as achronic illness and we don't discriminate against people," he notes."This is a good example of how we've done it well before and now we needto do the same thing with obesity."