Penicillin was discovered by accident. So was Viagra…in a way. Today we’re looking into a class of drugs that help people lose weight, though they weren’t designed for the purpose.
Dr. Christopher Jones, Medical Director for Diabetes Care at Intermountain Health said there are some challenges getting these new drugs to the right people.
“It has to be recognized as a disease rather than just a weakness or a failure of somebody's choices. And as we do we have a better approach to wait,” said Jones.
Weakness and failure are dreaded companions for many of us who have struggled with weight. But science is telling us our beliefs don’t match reality.
“It’s not just about what we put in our mouths. There’s a lot of genetics, there's a lot of biology that sometimes thwart even our best efforts,” said Jones.
How does he know? In part by the accidental discovery of a new class of medications called Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 receptor analogue medications, or GLP-1. The hormone GLP-1 works to help regulate the blood sugar levels in the body and control appetite.
“We've done testing, and we've tried to make medications, and we've only found things that are marginally helpful. This one was like a little gold mine, a little, a little revelation, like, wow, we found something that is distinctly impactful,” said Jones.
The new drugs were designed to treat Type 2 diabetes, and they do…increasing insulin production. It’s not entirely clear why they decrease hunger, but it is clear they are the most effective weight loss drugs available, and they seem to do even more.
“To our delight, the new medications have actually improved cardiovascular health, not just the absence of hurt. And so that has, in fact, opened up those additional questions and concepts. How do we now appreciate these medications? Are they just for diabetes? Or are they for other purposes?” said Jones.
It all seems pretty positive, but the drugs have side affects you have to watch for like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. And a problematic family medical history with the thyroid or pancreas may mean GLP-1’s are not for you. But the non-medical problems might be the biggest. First…the drugs are expensive, at least in the U.S.
“We do have scientific evidence that reducing weight improves multiple disease processes. We do not yet have economic data that shows the reduction of weight has a financial impact that offsets the cost of these medications, I would say that there is a call out, there's a huge desire and need for people to do that economic analysis,” said Jones.
Another challenge is availability. The Centers for Disease Control show about 37 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes, a massive market for the drug. But CDC numbers show more than 40 percent of adult Americans are obese. That’s crushing demand for this new class of drugs.
So who should ask about GLP-1’s?
“I would say for somebody sitting at home, generally speaking, those patients who have both type two diabetes and weight problems should consider the possibility of a GLP-1,” said Jones.
Dr. Jones says these drugs are not for the person who wants to get ready for swimsuit season. Part of the reason the cost is an issue is these are drugs to treat an ongoing condition that will return without them. Most patients will stay on the medication indefinitely.
