If you’re taking semaglutide for diabetes or weight loss, a new once-a-month injection could soon make it easier to stick to the program.
Researchers are developing long-lasting formulations that they say could improve adherence, efficacy and safety.
Semaglutide medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have been shown to lower blood sugar, help with weight loss and improve heart health but they currently require weekly shots, which many patients find difficult to maintain.
The researchers are now testing several formulations that combine semaglutide with a special hydrogel to try to slow delivery.
Initial in vitro lab tests showed the formulations provided a constant flow of medication over 1 to 3 months. A single injection of the hydrogel-based therapy also achieved sustained release for over one month in lab rats.
The lead author says the next step will be testing in pigs, whose skin and endocrine system are most similar to humans, and “If that goes well, we will move forward the platform development by expecting clinical trials within the next few years.”
Source: The European Association for the Study of Diabetes
Author Affiliations: ADOCIA
