Diabetes And Weight Loss: Injectable Drug Has A Slimming Side Effect

The injectable drug liraglutide (Saxenda), which is typically used to treat type 2 diabetes, comes with a bit of a slimming side-effect.

"This medication adds to the options physicians will have in helping overweight and obese patients lose weight and keep it off," lead researcher Dr. F. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City said, adding that the drug may also help reduce the progression of type 2 diabetes from prediabetes.

As diabetic patients are typically more prone to weight gain, the findings showed that the drug resulted in above-average weight loss for a majority of patients. The findings are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

For the study, researchers recruited over 3,700 overweight or obese people without diabetes. Participants were assigned to daily injections of the drug or a placebo for 56 weeks. Both groups also received lifestyle counseling as more than half had prediabetic conditions.

Findings revealed that up to 63 percent of patients taking the Saxenda lost at least 5 percent of their initial body weight, while one-third lost over 10 percent of their body weight. For those who received the placebo, 27 percent lost 5 percent of their body weight while one in 10 lost over 10 percent of their body weight.

However, like all medications, some unpleasant side-effects were associated with liraglutide, including moderate nausea and diarrhea. And as the drug is not generic, it may be more expensive than some can afford, with a co-pay of anywhere from $20 to $100 for insured patients, according to Health Day. For those who are uninsured, the price ranges from $1,000 to $1,800 for a three-month supply.

Related Articles 

A High-Fiber Diet May Be The Key To Your Weight-Loss

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).