Semaglutide

Last year, the situation began to change when Novo Nordisk received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market semaglutide. The drug can elicit a 15 percent to 17 percent weight loss in people with obesity.

But now a new generation of medications has arrived, based on a better understanding of the biological underpinnings of obesity. […] One of these medications – semaglutide, sold under the brand name Wegovy – will soon be available in UK chemists in the form of a weekly, self-administered injection.

As semaglutide has skyrocketed in popularity, patients have been sharing curious effects that go beyond just appetite suppression. They have reported losing interest in a whole range of addictive and compulsive behaviors: drinking, smoking, shopping, biting nails, picking at skin.

The heart of the growth is semaglutide, Novo Nordisk’s synthetic version of a hormone known as glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, which helps the body regulate blood sugar levels.