• Wegovy, semaglutide 2.4mg is a prescription medication used for treatment of obesity.

• The current licensed indication for Wegovy is BMI >30 or >27 with obesity related complications.

Wegovy and Ozempic are different brands for the same product, Semaglutide.

• Ozempic is Semaglutide 1.0mg licensed for type 2 diabetes.

• Wegovy is Semaglutide 2.4mg licensed for obesity.

• Wegovy (Semaglutide) is part of a class of medications in the GLP-1 receptor agonist family.

• GLP-1 is a naturally occurring hormone that is made in your gut after you eat. One of its intended effects is to activate the ‘fullness signals’ in your brain. It is one of the natural signals that control your appetite.

• When you take semaglutide, it helps to turn up these signals and helps you to feel more full, and feel less hungry. It also slows down your stomach emptying, making you feel fuller for longer.

• It is important to have a healthy diet and exercise plan to make the most of treatment.

• In clinical trials, semaglutide 2.4mg showed greater effacacy with average weight loss of 14.9% from initial weight over 68 weeks.

• About a third of patients lost more than 20% of their initial weight.

• These results outperform the results of current available medications in New Zealand.

• The most common side effects are gastrointestinal side effects - nausea, change in bowel habit, and dehydration. With careful monitoring, these side effects can be managed in most cases.

• More rarer side effects may include renal impairment and severe stomach problems.

• Acute pancreatitis has been observed with the group of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications like semaglutide. However the incidence of acute pancreatitis with treatment is quite rare with 0.2 events over 100 person-years in the STEP1 trial.

• For patients with Type 2 Diabetes on insulin/sulfonylurea medications, careful monitoring of blood sugar levels is a required to avoid the risk of hypoglycaemia (low sugar levels).

• Gallstones are also associated with semaglutide, but weight loss treatment in all shapes and sizes comes with an increased risk of gallstone-related events.

• When taking semaglutide, you must let your anaesthetist or endoscopist know if you are using this medication, as it may affect fasting status and risk of aspiration during the procedure.

• Semaglutide should also be avoided in pregnancy and breast-feeding mothers.

• With any medications, allergic reactions can happen.

• The full datasheet can be viewed on https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Profs/Datasheet/w/wegovyinjection.pdf

• Wegovy is administered by once weekly subcutaneous injection underneath the skin.

• It is typically injected around the abdominal area.