New medicine for obesity hits Qatar market

A new intravenous medicine is now available in Qatar, which could help overweight or obese people to slim down, and prevent from developing other chronic diseases.

Saxenda, a product of Novo Nordisk, is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or who are overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity, said experts yesterday.

With the high prevalence of around 34% adults living with obesity and 72.2% with overweight. Also overweight and obesity pose major health risks because they raise the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, heart diseases and other chronic diseases. Therefore, healthcare experts expect Saxenda would help improving lives of people.

Saxenda is now being prescribed for some patients at the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and also available at private hospitals and clinics.

“Qatar has some of the highest levels of metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes mellitus in the region,” said Dr Abdulla Al Hamaq, Executive Director of Qatar Diabetes Association, addressing a press conference yesterday.

“With the high prevalence of these diseases, it is very likely that our population will suffer from a variety of complications caused by them. Therefore, we support innovation in the medical sector that helps treat these issues in our society,” he added.

Saxenda was evaluated clinically among non-diabetic and diabetic people in three phases, among 5000 people, who have obesity or who are overweight. The trial data showed that Saxenda taken in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, resulted in significantly greater weight loss in some patients than a reduced-calorie diet and physical activity alone. Saxenda, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission.

“Significant clinical benefits and improvements in comorbidities can be seen with a weight reduction of five to ten percent of body weight. For some patients, a treatment option like Saxenda alongside diet and increased physical activity could be a real option for the long-term management of obesity,” said Dr Stephen Atkin, Professor Of Medicine at Weil Cornell Medical College and consultant endocrinologist at HMC.

Saxenda (liraglutide 3 mg) is a once-daily (glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue with 97 percent) similarity to naturally occurring human GLP-1, a hormone that is released in response to food intake. Like human GLP-1, Saxenda regulates appetite by increasing feelings of fullness and satiety, while lowering feelings of hunger and prospective food consumption, thereby leading to reduced food intake.

“For people with obesity, it is not just about losing weight, it is about gaining health and enjoying better lives,” said Dr Akin Aksekili, General Manager Novo Nordisk Gulf Emerging Markets. “Novo Nordisk is pleased to offer a new treatment option that can help people to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss. This is an important milestone in our long-term commitment to obesity,” he added.