In nine months, over NOK 1.5 billion worth of diet pills have been sold in Norway. The most effective medicine on the Norwegian market for this purpose is called Wegovy. It comes from Denmark’s Novo Nordisk, Europe’s most valuable company. But this week, a new medicine against obesity and overweight is coming from the USA to our pharmacies. It seems to be even more effective. Have employed several Mounjaro is the name of the new medicine. This should also be injected into the stomach once a week. The American giant company Eli Lilly is behind it. Last week they announced the start of sales of Mounjaro in Denmark. On Friday, it is Norway’s turn. – It is approved for type 2 diabetes and obesity. But our focus is primarily on those who are obese, says medical director of Eli Lilly in the Nordics, Lars-Petter Strand. The company is fully committed to Norway and has increased the number of employees here by 38 per cent, writes MedWatch. Photo: Eli Lilly – Between 20-25 per cent of Norway’s population has a BMI over 30, so there are many who can benefit from this type of treatment, says Strand. Many have been critical of the fact that the effective slimming drugs are so expensive, and that they create a class divide. Jøran Hjelmesæth is one of Norway’s leading obesity experts. He believes we need more slimming drugs on the market. – More offers will hopefully lead to a price reduction before too long. The players can force each other to lower prices in order to sell the medicines, he says. Hjelmesæth, who is section chief physician at the hormone, obesity and nutrition department at the Hospital in Vestfold, gives lectures both for Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. The fees for this have gone directly to the research center in Tønsberg, he emphasizes. The hope for a price war Mari-Mette Graff in the National Association for the Obese says many people had hoped for a price war between the big drug companies. – So far, that has not happened. What happens is that the patients are given another drug that they can consider as an alternative. Mari-Mette Graff is head of the National Association for the Obese. Photo: UNN (Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge) Currently, Mounjaro will cost NOK 3,450 per month, approximately the same as Wegovy. Graff says that there will still be large differences between rich and poor in what treatment they can afford. Because the state has so far not picked up the bill for this type of medicine because the cost has been too great. – The authorities who decide whether something can be obtained on a blue prescription or not must accept that this is the treatment of an illness, not a small measure to correct a beauty ideal that has gone off track. Graff also warns that there are still many unknown factors linked to the obesity drugs. – We know far too little about the long-term effect when it comes to the use of this type of medication. No people should have to live like guinea pigs, she says. The difference between Wegovy and Mounjaro There have been no studies directly comparing the Danish and the American slimming medicine. Both medicines reduce the feeling of hunger and increase the feeling of satiety. In addition, they make the reward center less active. This means that those who use the medication lose the desire to enjoy food. Wegovy and Mounjaro are injected into the stomach. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB The medicines each contain an artificial version of the gut hormone GLP-1. Originally, the hormone was used in medicines for diabetes type 2, before Danish Novo Nordisk – as the first in the world – decided to use the same mechanism in medicines for weight reduction. What should make Mounjaro even more effective and powerful is that it contains another artificial intestinal hormone, GIP. This hormone sends a signal to the brain that you are full. In addition, it helps to reduce “dangerous fat”. – The dangerous fat is what settles around our organs. If you get it redistributed to other places, for example under the skin, it is less dangerous, says Strand from Eli Lilly. Both anti-obesity medicines are only given in addition to a change in diet and exercise. Mounjaro may be best for one patient group in particular Although Mounjaro is supposed to be more effective than Wegovy, Hjelmesæth does not believe that all doctors and patients will choose the new medicine. First of all, he points out that Wegovy is more researched and thus safer. In addition, the American alternative is probably best suited for patients with severe obesity, he believes. – For those who do not need very large weight reduction, Wegovy may be the best. Jøran Hjelmesæth is also a professor at the University of Oslo. Photo: Julie Trulsvik Rasmussen / news Doctors have guidelines to adhere to when writing prescriptions for diet pills. Those with a BMI of 30 or more can get a prescription. But those who have an additional illness can get the medicine already with a BMI between 27 and 30. What happens when you stop taking slimming medicine? The side effects for Wegovy have been extensively researched and are therefore well known. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and stomach ache are most common. – These usually occur when the dose is adjusted early in the course. They go away in most people, but not in all. Someone has to stop, explains Hjelmesæth. Hjelmesæth says that less is known about the side effects of Mounjaro in practice. – But based on the studies, it looks like the side effect profile is very similar to that of Wegovy. Photo: Jørgen Leangen / news The goal for many is that they can stop taking diet pills after a while. But in practice it is difficult to stop without the weight going back on. Therefore, many people have to use the medicine indefinitely. Patients who stop taking the medicine regain the feeling of hunger and the pleasure of eating. But for some, this becomes even stronger than before the use of the medicine. This is exactly what Marthe (39) has told about earlier: – You only have the actual effect that the medication gives when you take the medication. It’s a bit like a blood pressure medicine, says Strand at Eli Lilly. More expensive with unhealthy food Health problems linked to overweight and obesity are expensive. Last year, a report came out that said it would cost Norway NOK 238 billion in 2022. Slimming drugs have been described by many as a revolution. But some are concerned about the increased use of diet pills. Like, among others, the leader of the Association of General Practitioners, Marte Kvittum Tangen. She emphasizes that diet pills are not suitable for everyone. – Doctors must make assessments of whether the benefit is greater than the risk, before they prescribe the medication, Tangen has told news previously. She emphasizes that the best advice for losing weight and becoming healthier is to eat less and be more active. – For society, it is most important to prevent obesity and implement measures such as making healthy food cheaper, says Jøran Hjelmesæth. And in the United States, in the country with a tradition of “supersize”, unhealthy food may soon become a poorer store. – Walmart says that they notice that people who use weight-reducing medicine buy less fat- and sugar-rich food, says Hjelmesæth. Published 28.10.2024, at 13.39 Updated 28.10.2024, at 13.58
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The obesity drug Mounjaro – the competitor to Wegovy – is coming to Norway – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
