Semaglutide for Weight Loss in Children: The Step Young Research Program

2023-09-23 05:52:00

Ozempic, Novo Nordisk’s flagship product, is originally a diabetes medication, but is best known for its appetite suppressant effect. People who inject it every week can lose up to 15% of their weight.

Since the summer, a study has been carried out to determine whether semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, can be used in minors. For obese people, Novo Nordisk has developed a variant in Ozempic – Wegovy – but it is not yet on the market in Belgium. The drug is also being studied in children. The Step Young research program is underway at university hospitals in Brussels, Leuven and Antwerp. Novo Nordisk wants to determine whether injections of 2.4 milligrams of semaglutide are safe and effective for children aged 6 to 12.

Belgium is one of ten participating countries in this trial, which aims to recruit 210 subjects worldwide. Only children whose BMI (body mass index) exceeds a certain threshold are eligible.

Karolien Van De Maele, coordinator of the multidisciplinary team to combat obesity at UZA, is delighted with the conduct of this study but hopes that the government will soon look into the treatment of obesity. In the meantime, she invites doctors to exercise restraint: “Semaglutide is a specialized medication. It is only intended for people who are significantly overweight and who are unable to lose weight sufficiently despite good motivation and long-term follow-up. Support from a multidisciplinary team will always be crucial.”

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