New weight management treatment now available
to support weight reduction and chronic weight management in
adults
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7610251-novo-nordisk-saxenda/
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Aug.
27, 2015 /CNW/ - Today, Novo Nordisk announced the
availability of Saxenda® (liraglutide) in Canada, the first once-daily human
glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue for chronic weight
management in combination with diet and exercise.
As many Canadians will attest, living with obesity is a daily
struggle that can involve emotional distress and physical ailments.
While behaviour interventions, like diet and exercise, remain the
cornerstone of treatment, drug therapy and bariatric surgery
support improved health outcomes for people considered obese, or
overweight with a weight-related comorbidity.1
Measured primarily by body mass index (BMI), obesity is a
condition requiring ongoing management to maintain long-term weight
reduction. The prevalence of obesity is on the rise. Approximately
one-quarter of the Canadian adult population are living with
obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2), many who also have a
weight-related comorbidity – type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep
apnea or some form of cancer.2
"When we look at obesity overall, we're still a long way from
fully understanding and appreciating the complexities and
sensitivities of the disease. Typically, people who already
struggle with their weight are at a much greater risk of gaining
even more weight," said Dr. Arya
Sharma, Professor of Medicine and Chair in Obesity Research
and Management at the University of
Alberta, founder and Scientific Director of the Canadian
Obesity Network. "One of the major problems is not weight
reduction, but rather effective weight maintenance. Also, how
to support people with BMIs of 35, 40 and 50 kg/m2
who are at tremendous risk of developing other serious health
problems."
Yet, according to a recent Leger survey, only three in 10
Canadians (29%) agree that obesity is a chronic condition that
cannot be cured and can affect people throughout their lifetime;
many Canadians (90%) agree that people living with obesity can
achieve a healthy weight by following a combination of diet and
exercise alone.3 Research, however, has identified a
number of related factors, including genetic and hormonal
disposition, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, immigration and
environmental factors.2
"My friends and family couldn't understand why I didn't seem to
care about losing weight - but I did care, and cared a lot,"
said Josh Cosford, a Canadian living
with obesity. "Every person living with obesity wants nothing more
in the world than to be slim and healthy, but we are dejected by
years of failed attempts. It wasn't until I found the support of a
healthcare team and educated myself on nutrition that I finally
understood the complexities of my condition. Change doesn't happen
overnight, so we need to provide those living with obesity some
education, patience and compassion."
Despite its growing prevalence and the fact that obesity
requires long-term management, diagnosis and treatment rates are
low as a direct result of the complexity of the disease, lack of
treatment and existing stigmas. In fact, according to the Leger
survey, a majority of Canadians (86%) believe obesity is a result
of personal choices about physical activity and food
intake.3 Unsurprisingly, as many as sixty per cent of
Canadians living with obesity have experienced bias or
discrimination from a stranger, friend, family member, healthcare
professional, employer, colleague or gym trainer, for
instance.3
Treatment of people living with obesity remains a significant
health challenge, and those living with the disease must work with
their physicians to develop realistic and sustainable strategies to
ensure successful obesity and chronic weight
management.4
According to Dr. Sharma, "Advances in treatment for people
living with obesity continues to be a priority for the successful
long-term management of the disease. Clinically, we have found that
a body weight reduction of five per cent can be considered
relevant. Therefore, treatment options, like Saxenda®,
that focus on chronic weight management and maintenance provide the
medical community with a way to fill the existing treatment gap. We
cannot rely on short-term, quick-fix solutions that only focus on
maximizing weight reduction, as this is unsustainable and not a
solution for our current obesity epidemic."
Choice of drug therapy to treat obesity should be based on
several factors, including the person's cardiovascular disease risk
profile, dietary habits and concomitant disease.5
Additionally, a person's readiness to lose weight must be properly
assessed, otherwise, the barriers to weight reduction and the
prevention of future weight gain must be taken into
consideration.6
"Novo Nordisk is committed to improving obesity care by
delivering treatment options, tools and support programs that are
the result of listening to and learning from people with obesity
and those who support them," said Brian
Hilberdink, President, Novo Nordisk Canada. "We are
committed, long-term, to using our expertise to help people with
obesity. Saxenda® is our first step into the medical treatment
of this disease."
About Saxenda®
Saxenda® is
indicated as an adjunct to a reduced calorie diet and increased
physical activity for chronic weight management in adult patients
with an initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or
greater (obese), or 27 kg/m2 or greater (overweight) in
the presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity (e.g.,
hypertension, type 2 diabetes, or dyslipidemia) who have failed a
previous weight management intervention.7
Saxenda® is a once-daily glucagon-like peptide-1
(GLP-1) analogue with 97 per cent similarity to naturally occurring
human GLP-1, a hormone that is released in response to food
intake.7 Like human GLP-1, Saxenda® regulates
appetite and lowers body weight through decreased food intake.
Saxenda® was evaluated in the SCALE™ (Satiety
and Clinical Adiposity−Liraglutide
Evidence in Non-diabetic and Diabetic people) phase 3
clinical trial program, which involved more than 5,000 people with
obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) or who were overweight (BMI ≥27
kg/m2) with at least one weight-related
comorbidity.7
The most common side effects found with Saxenda® were
related to the gastrointestinal system, such as nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea and constipation, and were transient.7 Acute
pancreatitis is considered an identified risk for all GLP-1
receptor agonists.7 Warning and precautions for
Saxenda® include the risk of thyroid C-cell tumours,
including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).7 Please
refer to the Saxenda® Product Monograph for additional
safety information and complete prescribing information.
About obesity
Obesity is a condition that is
associated with serious comorbidities, including hypertension, type
2 diabetes, overproduction or deficiency of fats in the blood,
certain types of cancer and a decreased life expectancy. The risk
of illness and death increases with the severity of the condition.
It is a complex and multi-factorial disease that is influenced by
genetics, physiological, environmental and psychological
factors.8 Commonly measured by BMI, obesity is defined
as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.
BMI is calculated by dividing an individual's weight (kilograms) by
height (metres) squared, though BMI numbers are widely considered
demeaning to the struggle people with obesity go through on a daily
basis.
The global increase in the prevalence of obesity is a public
health issue that has severe cost implications to healthcare
systems. In Canada, approximately
25 per cent of adults,9 equivalent to approximately 6.5
million people, live with obesity. Estimates of the economic burden
of obesity in Canada range from
$4.6 billion to $7.1 billion
annually.2
About Novo Nordisk
Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare
company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in
diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within
haemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement
therapy. Novo Nordisk employs approximately 39,700 employees in 75
countries, and markets its products in more than 180 countries. For
more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn, YouTube.
Note to the editor:
The Leger survey on
obesity was conducted between May 15-May 20,
2015, using Leger's online panel, LegerWeb. 2001 Canadians
were surveyed. A probability sample of the same size would
yield a margin of error of +/-2.2%, 19 times out of 20.
References
___________________________
1 Lau, D,
Douketis J, Morrison K, et al. 2006 Canadian clinical practice
guidelines on the management and prevention of obesity in adults
and children. Executive Summary. CMAJ 2007;176(8
SUPPL):Online-1-117. Available at:
http://www.cmaj.ca/content/suppl/2007/09/04/176.8.S1.DC1/obesity-lau-onlineNEW.pdf.
Accessed May 2015.
2 Public Health Agency of Canada. Obesity in Canada: A Joint Report from the Public Health
Agency of Canada and the Canadian
Institute for Health Information.
https://secure.cihi.ca/free_products/Obesity_in_canada_2011_en.pdf.
Accessed May 2015.
3 Leger Obesity Survey, May
15-May 20, 2015.
4 Canadian Obesity Network (CON). 5 A's of Obesity
Management. http://www.obesitynetwork.ca/5As_core_principles.
Accessed May 2015.
5 Douketis J, Sharma, A. Pharmacotherapy for
obesity — adults. Article 14. CMAJ 2007;176(8
SUPPL):Online-1-117. Available at:
http://www.cmaj.ca/content/suppl/2007/09/04/176.8.S1.DC1/obesity-lau-onlineNEW.pdf.
Accessed June 2015.
6 Hramiak I, Leiter L, Paul T, et al. Assessment of
obesity and its complications in adults. Article 6. CMAJ
2007;176(8 SUPPL):Online-1-117. Available at:
http://www.cmaj.ca/content/suppl/2007/09/04/176.8.S1.DC1/obesity-lau-onlineNEW.pdf
Accessed June 2015.
7 Saxenda® (liraglutide), Novo Nordisk Canada Inc.,
Product Monograph, 10 June 2015.
8 Agborsangaya C, Majumdar S, Sharma A, et al.
Multimorbidity in a prospective cohort: Prevalence and associations
with weight loss and health status in severely obese patients.
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2015 Mar;23(3):707-12. doi:
10.1002/oby.21008. Epub 2015 Feb 13. Accessed 26 February 2015.
9 Public Health Agency of Canada & Canadian Institute for Health
Information. Obesity in Canada,
20 June 2011.
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/hl-mvs/oic-oac/index-eng.php
Accessed 26 February 2015.
SOURCE Novo Nordisk Canada Inc.