--- title: "FDA Approves “Game-Changer” Weight Loss Drug" description: "On Friday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new weight-loss drug for the first time since 2014." date: "2021-06-07" modified: "2021-06-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/fda-approves-weight-loss-drug" categories: - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "fda" - "Weight Loss" --- # FDA Approves “Game-Changer” Weight Loss Drug ![On Friday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new weight-loss drug for the first time since 2014.]() *\Image: Futurism\* On Friday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [approved]() a new weight-loss drug for the first time since 2014. And that's a big deal: around 70 percent of adults in the US are either overweight or obese — meaning this treatment, if it holds up as an effective non-surgical approach to losing weight, could have significant public health implications. The drug, called semaglutide and made by Danish pharmaceutical Novo Nordisk, was [called a "game-changer"]() by researchers after [a study]() published in February found it was highly effective at stemming appetite and thereby allowing participants to lose weight. A trial involving almost 2,000 obese adults from 16 countries showed that those who received the drug and not a placebo lost just shy of 15 percent of their body weight on average, while the control group lost just 2.4 percent. "No other drug has come close to producing this level of weight loss — this really is a game-changer," said obesity researcher Rachel Batterham from the University College London, in a [February statement]() about the study. "For the first time, people can achieve through drugs what was only possible through weight-loss surgery." The drug is actually already in use under the name of Wegovy, and has been used as a type 2 diabetes medication for years now. "Today’s approval offers adults with obesity or overweight a beneficial new treatment option to incorporate into a weight management program," said John Sharretts, M.D., deputy director of the FDA's Division of Diabetes, in an [official announcement]() of the endorsement. The drug works by mimicking a hormone that targets the appetite and food intake-regulating portions of the brain. Despite its effectiveness in curbing appetite and helping with weight loss, the FDA notes that the drug does have common side effects including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and constipation. Many of the February trial's participants experienced some of these side effects. The drug has also [been linked to thyroid cancer]() in animals, thought its implications for health in humans remain unclear. There's also a lot more we don't know yet about the drug. For instance, we don't know if patients will have to keep taking the drug in perpetuity, as [*Science Alert* points out](), as we don't know what happened to the participants after the end of the trial. Doing so would also prove to be considerably expensive at about $1,000 a month, as [*The New York Times* reported]() in February. While insurers usually cover the cost of diabetes drugs, many Americans who are overweight or obese are uninsured and would likely not be able to afford such a treatment. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()