Despite the buzz about the use of diabetes medication (such as Ozempic and Wegovy) to induce weight loss, few can in fact tolerate them in the long run, according to new research.
New research published in the journal Obesity reveals that only 44 per cent of people prescribed weight-loss drugs were still taking them after three months, and only 19 per cent after one year.
That news will cheer the likes of CSL (ASX:CSL) and Resmed (ASX:RMD), whoseshare prices have been hit by the phenomenon.
Colleague and columnist Tim Boreham explains that the likes of Ozempic could cut demand for the duo’s products.
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“Obese people snore more, so if they are thinner, they won’t need Resmed’s sleep apnoea masks,” Boreham says in his 2023 biotech report card.
“With CSL, it is feared an outbreak of non-obesity will affect its acquired Vifor, a leading provider of kidney dialysis.”
So why do people not persist with these weight loss drugs?
According to a report by The Conversation, abandoning medication is a well known phenomenon and actually not that unusual.
For example, studies have shown that by the end of one year, almost half of the people on blood pressure medication stop taking it.
The most cited reason is concerns around side effects.
For GLP-1 medication (such as Ozempic and Wegovy), numerous issues of side effects have been widely reported, including bouts of nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, fatigue, and sulphurous burping.
Beware of muscle loss
Another reason for ditching these weight loss drugs is that it apparently causes lean muscle loss.
A recent result of a clinical trial of semaglitude — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy – showed that people lost nearly as much loss of lean muscle as pounds of fat.
Participants in the trial lost about 15 pounds (around 6.8kg) of lean muscle on average, compared with 23 pounds (10.4 kg) of fat during the 68-week trial.
Experts however say although losing lean muscle loss when shedding weight is a problem, it isn’t all that surprising.
“When we look at weight reduction from any intervention, about one-third of the weight we lose tends to be lean mass, and that can be problematic,” Dr. Jaime Almandoz, an associate professor of internal medicine at University of Texas told NBC.
MORE FROM STOCKHEAD: Biotechs with big catalysts in 2024: Part 1| Part 2| Dr Boreham’s 2023 biotech report card
“That lean mass loss is generally from muscle.
“Lean mass is healthier and associated with better metabolism, so when we lose lean mass, we may lose some of that function.”
Because of that, most doctors are instead urging people to go on a slow, consistent weight loss program by focusing on health, and not weight.
“If weight loss is starting to seem unachievable, try setting a different goal,” said a report from the American Nurse Association.
“Getting more physically fit can improve your health in many of the same ways. And you might find gaining fitness easier and more rewarding than losing weight.”
The month’s biotech stars
LBT INNOVATIONS (ASX:LBT)
LBT has been rising since its AGM in late November, where management provided an update on the company’s goals in 2024.
LBT CEO Brent Barnes said the expectations in 2024 include completion of the product development project with AstraZeneca, with a global rollout expected in the second half of the year.
In January, the microbiology diagnostic equipment manufacturer LBT announced a partnership with AstraZeneca and Thermo Fisher to hasten the development of LBT’s APAS AI software platform for microbial testing in the pharmaceutical sector.
The software is said to allow the speed up of laboratory processing of clinical samples by using AI to scan for microbial contamination.
In addition, LBT’s management expects additional pharmaceutical companies to start validations in 2024, which will build the company’s sales pipeline.
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NEUREN PHARMA (ASX:NEU)
Neuren soared last week after announcing positive results of its Phase 2 results of NNZ-2591 in children with Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS).
NNZ-2591 was given to all patients in the study as an oral liquid dose twice daily, with escalation in two stages up to the target dose of 12mg/kg during the first six weeks of treatment, subject to independent review of safety and tolerability data.
NEU says significant improvement was observed by both clinicians and caregivers from treatment, across multiple efficacy measures.
NEU also says NNZ-2591 was safe and well tolerated, with no clinically significant changes in laboratory values or other safety parameters during treatment.
Separately, the company said the last subject to be screened this week will complete the enrolment of subjects into its Phase 2 clinical trial of NNZ-2591 in Angelman syndrome (AS).
The Phase 2 trial will have enrolled children between aged 3 to 17 years at three hospitals in Australia. The study will examine the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of NNZ-2591 over 13 weeks of twice-daily oral liquid doses.
NNZ-2591 is a synthetic drug which is under development by Neuren for the treatment of Rett syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, Pitt Hopkins syndrome (genetic disorders), Prader-Willi syndrome, as well as Angelman syndrome.
Top-line results from the trial are expected to be available in Q3 2024.
INTELICARE (ASX:ICR)
ICR has been rising after executing a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Bolton Clarke as a precursor to a strategic partnership agreement.
Bolton Clarke is Australia’s largest independent not-for-profit aged care provider, supporting more than 130,000 people at home and in its 88 residential homes and 38 retirement villages.
ICR also executed a binding reseller agreement with JNC Technologies to deploy the InteliCare platform to JNC’s client Hardi Aged Care.
The contract value is expected to be $1.8 million in hardware implementation, and on full deployment will generate more than $500,000 in annual recurring SaaS fees, with an initial term of three years, representing InteliCare’s largest commercial deployment to date.
PACIFIC SMILES GROUP (ASX:PSQ)
Dental clinics network, Pacific Smiles Group, provided an update on its trading performance as of the close of business on December 20.
Patient fees came in $141.1 million, a 10.5 per cent increase year-on-year, and same centre patient fees also increased 9.7 per cent year-on-year.
PSQ also provided guidance for FY24.
Patient fees for the full year are expected to come in the range of $293 million to $297 million, and Underlying EBITDA in the range of $26 million to $28 million.
Additionally, PSQ said the board has assessed the $1.40 in cash per share takeover offer from Genesis Capital submitted earlier this week.
Despite acknowledging that the share price performance of Pacific Smiles had been disappointing, the board considered that the offer was “opportunistic and materially undervalues Pacific Smiles”, and therefore rejected the proposal.
ADHERIUM (ASX:ADR)
The digital health company delivered the first purchase order agreement of 1750 of its Hailie Smartinhaler sensors to a major US hospital system, Intermountain Health.
Intermountain includes 33 hospitals, 385 clinics with more than 12,000 associated physicians. Intermountain is a leader in outpatient respiratory care with around 300,000 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma patients.
Hailie is the only US FDA 510(k) cleared, drug-agnostic digital sensor available providing physiological data insights on inhaler technique.
Haile’s sensors remotely capture when and how an inhaler is being used, profoundly improving adherence and patient self-management.
This data enables timely interventions and tailored treatments to improve health outcomes to reduce hospital admissions and ultimately healthcare costs.
This content first appeared onstockhead.com.au
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Originally published as Check Up: Why people quit weight-loss drugs
