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Ozempic vs. Other Weight Loss Drugs: How Genetics Can Guide You

There’s been quite a buzz in the last couple of years around weight loss medications. Newer weight loss medications have come to market over the past several years, but how do you know what’s going to be the best choice for you?

Pharmacogenomics can be your guide. 

Weight Loss Medications

Some of the popular medications known to improve weight include Ozempic, Wegovy, and Saxenda. 

 

Ozempic, known generically as semaglutide, is a weekly injectable used to help manage blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. While it has gained recognition for its weight loss benefits and has been prescribed for off-label use for weight loss, it is actually only FDA-approved for diabetes. 

 

Victoza has a similar story in that it is used for managing blood sugar in type 2 diabetics but also yields great weight loss results. It’s known generically as liraglutide and is used as a daily injectable. 

 

Wegovy is the counterpart to Ozempic in that it is a higher dose semaglutide that has been FDA-approved specifically for weight loss. Saxenda on the other hand is the counterpart to Victoza. It’s a daily injectable that contains a higher dose of liraglutide which is FDA-approved specifically for weight loss. 

How Weight Loss Medications Work

What do these anti-obesity meds actually do? 

 

• Reduce hunger

• Increase fullness

• Improve blood sugar or insulin resistance 

 

Semaglutide and liraglutide medications both work as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists. This means they mimic the GLP-1 hormone in our gut, which then activates our body’s GLP-1 receptors. Activating these receptors improves the release of insulin from beta cells in the pancreas and reduces the release of glucagon, both working to lower blood sugar. 

 

These GLP-1 agonists impact the receptors in the digestive tract and the central nervous system. This delays gastric emptying, helping people feel full longer. It also reduces appetite to help reduce overall feelings of hunger. 

 

Along with the benefits of these medications, there can be side effects. Since they slow gastric emptying the most common side effects tend to be digestion related. Nausea, vomiting, and constipation are the most commonly reported. 

Pharmacogenomics 

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could figure out which weight loss medication would be the most effective and the safest for YOU without having to first do some trial and error? With Pharmacogenomics this may be possible. 

 

Pharmacogenomics studies how an individual's genetic makeup affects their response to various drugs. Combining pharmacology (the science of drugs) with genomics (the study of genes) we can develop safe, effective medications and doses tailored to each individual. 

 

Key aspects include:

• Tailored Drug Treatments: medications can be chosen based on genetic profiles to ensure maximum efficacy with minimal side effects

• Drug Metabolism: the ability to examine how genes affect the metabolism of a drug (how the body processes it and responds to it), to identify which drugs and doses are ideal 

• Drug Development: new medicines can be created based on the study of our genes to find options that will be more effective and/or provide fewer side effects

 

Conclusion 

The landscape of weight loss medications is rapidly evolving, with options like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Saxenda showing promising results. However, the effectiveness and side effects of these medications can vary significantly from person to person. This is where pharmacogenomics comes into play.

Don't leave your weight loss journey to trial and error. Learn more about pharmacogenomics testing and how it can help you find the most effective weight loss medication for your genetic profile.