New obesity drug could help reduce body weight by 11%

The drug Cagrilintide was found to make users less hungry. Picture: Stock Image.

A new obesity drug reduces hunger and can cut body weight by 11%.

The drug, partially researched in Ireland,  increases obese people's sense of 'satiety', making users feel less hungry and eat less.

Obesity, meaning a BMI of over 30, is one of the 10 most common underlying conditions found among Covid-19 cases in Ireland, according to the HSE.

This study, published in medical journal The Lancet this month, found that the drug Cagrilintide reduced body weight over a six-month period.

It was trialled with 706 participants across 57 sites in 10 countries, including Ireland, the UK, and the US over 26 weeks. Everyone taking part had a BMI of at least 30, or 27 with hypertension or dyslipidaemia.

It claims to treat obesity effectively and enable many people to live longer and better, according to Irish Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (IrSPEN) spokesperson and obesity specialist at St Vincent's University Hospital, Professor Carel le Roux.

"Cagrilintide is a new medication, which works by inducing fullness after a meal," Prof Le Roux said. "Researchers at St Vincent's Hospital worked with international colleagues to assess effects on bodyweight, safety, and tolerability in patients with obesity." 

Prof Le Roux, a co-author on the study, said: "Those receiving the highest doses of the medication lost 10.8% of their weight, which is close to two stone (12.7kg) for most people." 

The study found the medication was "well-tolerated" by the participants and led to significant weight loss, Dr Babak Dehestani, also at St Vincent's Hospital, said.

Information collected on Covid-19 cases by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (Hpsc) shows 16.1% of those admitted to ICUs here were obese with a BMI of more than 40. This related to the period between March 2020 and the end of January this year.

Previous research shows obesity affects more than a million people in Ireland and is one major cause of cancer or heart attacks. It is also a major contributing factor to type 2 diabetes, which affects 200,000 people here.