These drugs have been around for more than a decade.
It’s not something “new.”
In the late 1800s, physicians began using thyroid hormones to treat obesity.
The 1940s marked the beginning of amphetamine use for weight loss.
The FDA approved a new central nervous system stimulant called phentermine for weight loss in 1959.
In 1960, the FDA approved the oral tablet Didrex® (benzphetamine hydrochloride), a central nervous system stimulant that can promote weight loss.
The FDA approved Bontril® PDM (phendimetrazine tartrate) in 1976 for the treatment of obesity.
During the 1970s, the FDA also approved fenfluramine, an oral tablet commonly used as an appetite suppressant at that time.
Over-the-counter appetite suppressants containing phenylpropanolamine (PPA) became more popular in the 1980s.
Another short-lived weight loss medication emerged in the 1990s with the introduction of fen-phen—the combination of fenfluramine with phentermine. Evidence linking fen-phen to valvular heart disease led to fen-phen’s quick demise.
In 2005, the FDA approved the very first GLP-1 agonist to treat people with type 2 diabetes.
Exenatide paved the way for future GLP-1s, providing new treatment options for people with obesity.
Meanwhile, Alli® (orlistat) oral capsules became available over the counter in 2007.
In the 2010s
Victoza® injections for diabetes (2010)
Saxenda® injections for obesity (2014)
Ozempic injections for diabetes (2017)
Rybelsus® tablets for diabetes (2019)
The FDA in 2014 approved Contrave® tablets as a weight loss treatment featuring naltrexone (an opioid antagonist) and bupropion (an antidepressant) as active ingredients.
Now we have the flavors of the day
Wegovy for weight loss (2021)
Mounjaro® for diabetes (2022)
Zepbound® for weight loss (2023)
The active ingredient in Wegovy (semaglutide) is the same active ingredient in Ozempic and Rybelsus. The difference is that weekly Ozempic injections and daily Rybelsus tablets are not approved for weight management.
Wow I had NO IDEA.
I started a ozempic but I got a bunch of floaters in my eyes a few days later and stopped.
Could have been coincidence.
I looked it up after the floaters and saw that blindness was a rare, maybe very very rare side effect and that was that.
The floaters DID happen though right after starting it.
But at my weight, I wont live another 10 years so is it worth it?
I dont know.
That’s irrelevant.
The push for them is and it’s completely uncalled for.
There’s far too much profit in keeping people unhealthy and on medicine instead of getting people to eat better and exercise more and lose weight.