The unknown side of the "weight loss miracle drug" Simegatide: 10-15% of users experience poor results

With Ozempic and Wegovy rising to the "weight loss altar", GLP-1 drugs have completely changed the landscape of the weight loss market. However, not all patients using these drugs can achieve the desired weight loss effect.

According to the latest reports from the media, about 10% to 15% of patients using these drugs have poor results, with a weight loss of less than 5%. Some patients fail to achieve significant weight loss because their appetite does not decrease significantly.

Why can some people lose a lot of weight while others lose very little when taking the same medication?

Researchers believe that genetic differences are considered a possible reason for some patients' resistance to GLP-1 drugs. On the other hand, specific medical conditions, medication history, and factors such as the rate of drug metabolism may also affect the weight loss effects of the drugs. In addition, instances with huge differences in efficacy are also reflected in clinical trials, showing extreme inconsistency in patients' weight loss results.

Huge Differences in Weight Loss Effects

In a trial of semaglutide (brand names Wegovy and Ozempic), about 14% of participants lost less than 5% of their weight, and approximately one-third lost less than 10%. In a trial of tirzepatide (brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound), 9% of people lost less than 5% of their weight, and 16% did not lose more than 10%.

Among the successful weight loss group, the weight loss ranged from about 5% to over 20%.

"People's responses to these drugs can vary greatly," said Dr. Eduardo Grunvald, an obesity medical expert at UC San Diego Health.

Novo Nordisk, the company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, also stated that not all patients respond to all therapies, and pointed out that in trials of semaglutide, the vast majority of patients treated with Wegovy achieved some degree of weight loss.

Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro and Zepbound, stated that obesity is a complex disease, and in their clinical studies, most people achieved at least a 20% weight loss with the highest dose of treatment.

For some individuals, obesity may be driven by hormones that cannot be mimicked by non-drug means. In these cases, medications may not have the expected effects, as Dr. Steven Heymsfield, an obesity research expert at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University, pointed out that individuals with long-term obesity may have genetic mutations that make it difficult for them to have a strong response to medications. People with fast metabolism may also not feel significant effects.

Furthermore, other medical issues may affect the effectiveness of weight loss drugs. People with type 2 diabetes usually have less weight loss effect than non-diabetic patients. Dietary and exercise habits before starting these medications may also affect weight loss outcomes People who have already achieved significant weight loss through lifestyle changes may have limited weight loss potential with drug therapy. Other medications, such as certain antidepressants and antipsychotics, may also affect the effectiveness of weight loss medications due to weight gain side effects.

"There may also be other drug interactions that affect the effectiveness of GLP-1 medications," Heymsfield added