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Is the weight loss drug semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) safe for people with inflammatory bowel diseases?
Semaglutide (branded as Wegovy/Ozempic) is a medication that has recently been approved for use in Aotearoa New Zealand as a weight loss treatment. It is a GLP-1 (glucagon-like-peptide-1) receptor agonist and was originally developed and utilised to manage type 2 diabetes. Semaglutide has also been shown to be effective for weight loss. It functions by binding to GLP-1 receptors, resulting in slowed gastric emptying and reduced appetite but it can also cause gastrointestinal adverse events in some people. This raises the question, is semaglutide safe for people with pre-existing gastrointestinal complications, such as those with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)?
Two recently published papers in the journal of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases sought to answer this question. First, to determine whether semaglutide was safe for those with IBD and second, whether semaglutide remained effective for weight loss in people with IBD.
The first study by Levine et al. showed that IBD patients taking semaglutide did not experience increased adverse IBD-related complications compared to those not taking the drug. The second paper by Desai et al. confirmed this result and further demonstrated that semaglutide remained as effective for weight-loss drug in obese people with IBD compared to a non-IBD obese population also taking the drug.
Together, these studies indicate that semaglutide is safe and effective for those with IBD, suggesting that using this treatment for co-morbidity with obesity could be considered without increased risk of IBD-related disease flares. However, it is always important to speak with your doctor before deciding whether a new medication is right for you.
To read about these studies in more detail follow the links below:
https://doi.org/10.1093/ibd/izae250