[Technews Science and Technology News] Semaglutide is a GLP-1 analog (Note 1) newly developed by Novo Nordisk in Denmark, which will be used for the treatment of "type 2 diabetes". It is more than 90% similar to GLP-1, has a high stability in the human body, and can maintain its activity in the human body for a week, so it can be administered once a week. Semaglutide can be said to be a multi-purpose drug. In addition to helping patients with type 2 diabetes control blood sugar, it can also reduce weight and prevent cardiovascular disease.

Recently, researchers at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom further studied how semaglutide affects the eating behavior, calorie intake and type of diet of drug users. The results showed that the subjects who received the drug had lower calorie intake when eating ad libitum, reducing their caloric intake by a quarter compared to the control group. In addition, subjects in the experimental group were more able to resist the urge to "eat" and were less hungry, and their preference for high-fat foods also decreased. The findings were published in the May issue of the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

The drug, which is used to treat diabetes, was taken only once a week, and subjects lost an average of 5kg after 12 weeks. Professor John Blundell of the University of Leeds said: "The most surprising thing is that the weight loss effect of this drug is better than that of known weight loss drugs, which usually take half a year to achieve the weight loss target of 5 kg."

Prof Blundell continued: "A drug that can help reduce appetite and reduce body fat can also help improve people's sense of control over their lives and prevent several diseases caused by obesity."

The clinical trial of semaglutide has been completed and the application for marketing in the United States, Japan and Europe has been completed. The review process was very smooth. After the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expert panel evaluated the safety and efficacy, it passed with 16 votes in favor and 1 vote in avoidance. It is expected to be listed in the near future (Note 2).

Note 1: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a hormone secreted by the small intestine. In addition to stimulating the secretion of "insulin" and reducing blood sugar, it has also been clinically observed to increase satiety, Reduces appetite and calorie intake. Animal experiments found that GLP-1 may achieve this effect by acting on the hippocampus of the brain.

Note 2: Semaglutide has been found to have an increased incidence of retinal complications in subjects during clinical trials, which has attracted a lot of attention. However, the researchers further removed the data of 79 subjects with confirmed retinopathy at the beginning of the study, and the incidence of retinopathy in the remaining subjects was comparable to that of the control group.