Hey, ladies and gentlemen, today let's talk about a miracle drug that originally needed to "see the eye of the needle" - semaglutide, which has recently completed a gorgeous transformation from "needle tip" to "tip of the tongue" and turned into an oral preparation.
This is not as simple as changing from injections to taking medicine, the story behind it is called a ups and downs, comparable to the "metamorphosis" of the medical world.
The "proto" of semaglutide
Semaglutide, the star member of the GLP-1 receptor agonist family, was originally a typical "injection pie". Its mission is to help those suffering from type 2 diabetes to bring out of control blood sugar levels back on track by regulating blood sugar, suppressing appetite, protecting the heart, and more. Injection, that's the way it always plays.
The pursuit of "oral dreams".
After all, taking medicine is the first choice for most people rather than injections. As a result, researchers began a "preparation revolution", vowing to break the curse that semaglutide can only be injected. They have come up with a variety of high-tech formulas with one goal: to allow semaglutide to safely and effectively cross the gastrointestinal tract and reach the battlefield in the body.
The oral version of "Changing Lives Against the Heavens" was born
After some "ninety-nine-eighty-one difficulties", researchers finally succeeded in developing an export version of semaglutide. Imagine that a guy who would have had to be injected directly into the blood through a needle to function can now pass through the baptism of stomach acid, cross the small intestinal barrier, and finally activate the GLP-1 receptor in the body to continue its great cause of lowering blood sugar. This is simply the "black technology" in the medical field, which can be called "seemingly simple, but in fact it is against the sky"!
Oral vs Injection, What's the Difference?
So, in addition to the huge difference in the way of use between the oral version of semaglutide and the injectable version, what are the other noteworthy changes?
Convenience:
The oral formulation does not require injection, which reduces the patient's fear of needles and the inconvenience of self-injection, and greatly improves medication compliance. Take medicine, so easy!
Side effect:
Despite the convenience achieved by the oral version, just like every hero has his weakness, oral semaglutide, when the dose is escalated, may trigger some gastrointestinal events such as nausea, diarrhea, etc. And, the higher the dose, the more pronounced these discomforts may be. However, these are manageable, and doctors will adjust the dosage and medication strategy on an individual basis.
Indication expansion:
Although at present, the identity of oral semaglutide is still a serious "hypoglycemic drug" in China, it has been approved for weight loss indications abroad. Referring to the hot performance of injections in the field of weight loss, it is not impossible for the oral version to get involved in the field of weight loss in China in the future, but it is still necessary for manufacturers and regulatory authorities to jointly solve the problem of drug use specifications.
Epilogue: Medical Advances, Patient Gospel
Overall, the emergence of the oral version of semaglutide is undoubtedly a major breakthrough in the field of diabetes treatment. It not only frees patients from frequent injections, but also provides new treatment options for more people who may benefit. This is the power of science to make life better without even noticing.
So, the next time you hear "semaglutide oral", don't just think it's a new vest, it's full of technology and patient welfare. The progress of medicine has quietly happened between this injection and medicine.
Author: Zhang Jianhui, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University
Reviewer: Wang Ruolun, Chief Pharmacist, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University