Sean Wharton, leader of the Wharton Medical Clinic for Weight and Diabetes Management in Ontario, Canada
It currently makes three drugs that contain semaglutide, including: Wegovy, a once-weekly injectable medicine for weight loss and cardiovascular risk reduction Ozempic, a once-weekly injectable medicine for Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk reduction, often prescribed off-label (for a non-FDA-approved use) for weight loss Rybelsus, a daily oral medicine for managing blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes, and sometimes prescribed off-label for weight loss These three brand-name medicines are the only FDA-approved semaglutide products
Herrington WG, Staplin N, Wanner C et al (2023) Empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease
What we do not know yet Long-term incidence rates over 1 to 2+ years of continuous use
The drug includes small changes to its structure to make it more stable and less likely to be broken down by enzymes