Adding Ozempic to endoscopic sleeve gastrectomy produces greater weight loss
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Using Ozempic in combination with endoscopic sleeve gastrectomy resulted in greater weight loss than the procedure alone, according to a presentation at Digestive Diseases Week.
“A minimally invasive procedure known as endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, or ESG, is available to many patients with obesity who wish to forego surgery for weight loss and who are not candidates for procedures such as laparoscopic sleeve gastroplasty,” Ana C. Hoff, MD, said during a press conference prior to DDW. “However, ESG has not produced the same weight loss results as bariatric surgery.”
In the double-blind study, 61 patients underwent ESG. Twenty-nine of them received Ozempic (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk) starting 1 month post-procedure while another 29 received a placebo administered with similar injector pens as those used with semaglutide. Three participants were lost to follow-up.
In the semaglutide group, patients lost an average of 26.7% of their total body weight and 86.3% of their excess weight. In the placebo group, patients lost 19.6% of total body weight on average and 60.4% of their excess weight. Hoff also noted that HbA1c was better controlled in the semaglutide group with their levels falling by 0.95 while the placebo group saw a decrease of 0.61.
Hoff noted that the participants’ diabetes status did not impact the results.
“While bariatric surgery remains the gold standard for significant sustained weight loss, fewer than 2% of eligible patients pursue this option. As the worldwide obesity rate continues to climb, so do the number of people seeking cost effective alternative methods to surgery to treat their condition,” Hoff said. “These excellent results are particularly exciting because ESG can be performed at an earlier stage of the disease and a lower BMI meaning more patients can get the treatment before their disease is progressing.”
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Hoff AC. Abstract 548. Presented at: Digestive Disease Week; May 21-24, 2021; Virtual.
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