Health
FDA Approves Controversial Childhood Obesity Drug
United States: A drug has recently received approval for the treatment of obesity in adults and teenagers. It has been proven to be efficient for kids starting from the age of six when taken together with the necessary lifestyle changes – a new study found.
More about the news
A medication called liraglutide, used in adults with obesity, reduced body mass, attenuated weight gain, and enhanced favorable biomarkers in children aged between six and eleven years, research reported in a medical conference on Tuesday, and to the New England Journal of Medicine, ABC News reported.
Following the trial, the company that manufactures the drug, Novo Nordisk, has sought permission from the US authorities to apply the medication in children in that age bracket, the spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Should the medication be approved, it would be the first treatment for the kind of obesity experienced by over 20 percent of kids in the age group of 6 through 11 in the United States, according to the US CDC.
FDA Approves Controversial Childhood Obesity Drug. Credit | Shutterstock
What do the study results show?
According to Dr. Claudia Fox, a pediatric obesity expert at the University of Minnesota, who led the study, “To date, children have had virtually no options for treating obesity,” and “They have been told to ‘try harder’ with diet and exercise,” ABC News reported.
Like most drugs with antiemetic properties, side effects include gastrointestinal effects in those administered the drug, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, among others.
However, physicians and parents would have to research those risks and the absence of knowledge about the safety of employing such drugs in young children.
According to Dr. Melissa Crocker, a pediatric obesity specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital, “Having a medication for that age group, if approved, would be a really nice tool to have, but we’re also going to have to be careful about how widely we start using it,” ABC News reported.
FDA Approves Controversial Childhood Obesity Drug. Credit | Adobe Stock
“And I would answer that differently at six than I would at 11,” she added.
About Liraglutide
Liraglutide belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1s, which currently boast some of the biggest-selling drugs in the world, such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.
The medications make them resemble hormones that control hunger, feelings of being full or satiated, and digestion. Although this drug is given as a daily injection, it has been approved under the name of Victoza as a treatment for diabetes in adults and in children that are at least ten years of age and for Saxenda under the treatment of obesity affecting adults and children aged between 12 to 17 years.
The new study, also funded by Novo Nordisk, enrolled 82 children with a mean age of 10 and a baseline weight of 70kgs or 154. 2 pounds. In this sample, the average starting BMI was 31, categorizing the childhood population as obese or overweight.