The Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Wegovy, Novo Nordisk’s latest obesity drug, for adolescents aged 12 years and older opens up a highly-anticipated tool in the fight against childhood obesity, but some doctors warn the sought-after medication isn’t a magic bullet.
The move comes after the FDA approved Wegovy (semaglutide) for weight management in adults in 2021.
Though the FDA approved Novo Nordisk’s earlier obesity drug, Saxenda, for weight loss in adolescents in December 2020, there’s greater interest in Wegovy since it’s injected weekly instead of daily and it has been shown to have greater effects on weight loss. The drug, which mimics the effects of hormones that can help people feel full after eating, led to an average 16% reduction in body-mass index in teens in a 68-week trial.
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