Novo Nordisk, Ebn Sina Medical launch Wegovy in Qatar
The event was attended by Anders Bjørn Hansen, the Ambassador of Denmark to the UAE and Qatar, Aamal Company CEO Rashid Al Mansoori, Manvendra Singh, General Manager of Novo Nordisk Qatar and Dr Nayla Mansour, Commercial Director of Ebn Sina Medical.
Wegovy® (Semaglutide 2.4mg), the once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) indicated for chronic weight management in adults and adolescents ages 12 years and above, is now available in Qatar.
Obesity has emerged as a significant global epidemic, affecting approximately 1 billion individuals world-wide. Obesity in the Gulf is rapidly unfolding with the highest rates globally.
In Qatar, the obesity crisis is particularly severe, the current prevalence of obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m2) amongst adults in Qatar is estimated to be 41% with a notably higher prevalence amongst women (46%) and, nearly 76% of individuals in Qatar are classified as overweight. This places Qatar among the top 10 highest obesity rates in the world, a statement said quoting statisitics.
The high rates of obesity and overweight in Qatar are linked to the high-country overall rates of related chronic conditions such as pre-diabetes, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
The active ingredient in Wegovy®, Semaglutide 2.4 mg, works by reducing hunger and increasing the feeling of fullness. Wegovy is indicated as adjunct to reduced calorie intake and increased physical activity for weight management, including weight loss and weight maintenance in adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) or with overweight (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m2) in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity.
As per clinical research, Wegovy on top of diet and exercise delivers 17% mean weight loss sustained over 2 years with one third of patients having a reduction of at least 20% body weight loss. Semaglutide 2.4 mg demonstrated significant improvements in other cardiometabolic risk factors such as: waist circumference, blood pressure, lipid profile, Glycemic parameters & C-reactive protein, the statement said.
The SELECT clinical study including 17,604 adults with a BMI ≥27 kg/m2 demonstrated that Semaglutide 2.4 mg resulted in a statistically significant 20% risk reduction in Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE) in people with overweight or obesity and established CVD, without T2DM1, it said.
Besides its indication in adults, Wegovy® is also approved as the first and only once weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) for chronic weight management in adolescents with obesity from the age of 12 years. This innovation may help transform the medical management of adolescent obesity in Qatar, where nearly 20% of children and adolescents are affected, it noted. - TradeArabia News Service
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