Semaglutide – the “ skinny jab ”

TL:DR – Semaglutide is known to US celebrities as the “skinny jab” and has apparently been the subject of a weight-loss craze. It has now been approved in the UK for weight-loss in the clinically obese. Semaglutide is a pharmaceutical that can help control the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes for which it was first used. The nickname, the “skinny jab” comes from the drug’s activity as an appetite suppressant used in helping overweight people and the obese reduce their body weight. It is sold under the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus and was originally developed by Novo Nordisk in 2012. Clinical trials of the weekly injected drug were completed in 2017. In March 2023, the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended provision of the drug to specialist treatment centres under the National Health Service (NHS). The main mode of action of the drug, according to the NICE website, is to activate the GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor, which increases activity in the pancreas to boost insulin secretion into the blood. Insulin is the hormone that raises the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream. Semaglutide also suppresses glucagon secretion. Glucagon is insulin’s counterpart hormone produced by the pancreas. It raises the concentration of glucose and fatty acids in the bloodstream. The drug slows the rate at which the stomach empties its contents into the next portion of the gastrointestin...
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Health and Medicine Obesity Source Type: blogs