Slimming injections are not something you can just take if you want to.

Recently, a famous weight-loss injection has appeared. It is claimed to be safe and has no side effects. It is suitable for anyone without dieting or exercise. With just one injection per week, you can lose 10 kilograms in a month. But is it really so magical? Can anyone use it?
China has not yet approved its use for weight loss
Semaglutide is a new long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It was originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes and was later proven to have a significant effect on weight loss. Therefore, In June 2021, it was approved by the US FDA for subcutaneous injection of 2.4mg once a week for weight loss.
However, in China, semaglutide is only approved for use in patients with type 2 diabetes. It is a hypoglycemic drug and has the effect of reducing major cardiovascular adverse events in patients with type 2 diabetes. It is not yet approved for weight loss.
Weight loss effect was accidentally discovered
The weight-reducing effect of semaglutide was accidentally discovered during the study of its hypoglycemic effect. The mechanism is not completely clear, but there are currently three main pathways.
① Suppresses appetite and reduces energy intake. By increasing the level of satiety signals in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, it inhibits the increase in hunger signals, thereby increasing the feeling of satiety and reducing caloric intake.
② Acts on the gastrointestinal tract, delays gastric emptying and gastrointestinal motility, reduces gastric acid secretion, increases satiety, and reduces food intake.
③Change food preferences, act on central GLP-1 receptors, and significantly reduce preference and intake of high-fat or sweet foods. The main thing is to reduce appetite and eat less to lose weight.
Counterfeit medicines packaged as internet celebrity medical beauty products
Since January this year, the police in Zhuji, Zhejiang have investigated three cases of selling counterfeit medicines called "AB Light Combination" containing "semaglutide" and found that this type of illegal product has become widespread in the field of medical beauty and has had a negative impact on society. .
After interrogation, it was found that the gang headed by Tang Mouqiao and others produced and sold "Light Su" slimming injections containing "semaglutide" in the name of a cosmetics company. The police seized more than 16,000 bottles of "Qingqingsu" products and more than 20 machines and equipment, with a total value of nearly one million yuan.
"Tang Mouqiao's company has 60 to 70 employees and has formal qualifications to mainly produce facial masks. But later they found that the weight loss industry was more profitable, so they began to engage in this illegal production operation." Feng Yu, the police officer in charge of the case, said. The company mainly dissolves the powdered "semaglutide" in mannitol, then freeze-dries it and sells it to beauty salons and agents in the name of cosmetics.
The police said that the gang's seized online store in Jiangsu had sold more than 6,000 bottles of "Lightness Su" products, which had flowed into more than 20 provinces across the country. At present, relevant production and sales data are still being sorted out, and the case is still under further investigation.
Trials for weight loss indications are advancing
According to the Drug Clinical Trial Registration and Information Disclosure Platform of the State Food and Drug Administration, semaglutide oral preparation has launched a phase III clinical trial in China, aiming to evaluate the efficacy of once-daily 50 mg semaglutide oral preparation in overweight or obese adults in China. efficacy and safety.
The international recognition of meglutide for weight loss has been increasing. On March 30, the European Medicines Agency website showed that Novo Nordisk’s marketing application for smeglutide for weight management in adolescents aged 12 years and above was recommended and approved by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use.

Side effects cannot be ignored
"Semaglutide suppresses appetite by regulating the feeding center in the brain area, and increases satiety by slowing gastric emptying, thereby reducing food intake and achieving weight loss." Deputy Chief Physician, Department of Endocrinology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital Fang Hongjuan pointed out.
First of all, from the perspective of weight loss treatment, whether you can use it, you must first determine whether you are really "fat". Only obese or overweight patients should consider using semaglutide, that is, BMI ≥ 27kg/m2.
It is said online that semaglutide is safe and has no side effects, but this is not the case. The most common adverse reactions of semaglutide are gastrointestinal discomfort, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, indigestion, constipation, decreased appetite, etc. Other adverse reactions include constipation, nasopharyngitis, headache, indigestion, abdominal pain, upper respiratory tract infection, hepatobiliary disease, cholelithiasis, injection site reactions, etc. In severe cases, pancreatitis may even be induced.
In addition, these drugs are not recommended for use by people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasms, or a family history of the disease.
Fang Hongjuan pointed out that a study published in the journal "Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism" in April 2022 showed that obese patients will regain weight after they stop using semaglutide. "When using semaglutide to lose weight, patients' mental health may also be affected. Obese patients still need to control their diet and achieve weight control through long-term health management."