Pharmaceutical companies struggled for decades to develop an effective weight loss drug that they could bring to market, with efforts starting to bear fruit earlier this decade. In 2017, the FDA approved Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes. During the clinical trials leading up to approval, researchers noted that their formulation had an interesting side effect—weight loss. It took time for this information to become common knowledge, but with the help of extensive Hollywood buzz, by 2023, physicians across the country were prescribing Ozempic off-label to assist patients in losing weight.

Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk had been working on capitalizing on Ozempic’s unique side effect and received FDA approval in 2021 for its Wegovy formulation to treat obesity in those with at least one weight-related medical condition. This formulation shares the same active ingredient as Ozempic but has different dosing and was slow to capture the public’s attention, possibly due to prescription parameters. However, by 2023, Wegovy had joined Ozempic in achieving blockbuster status, and by the end of the year, there were widespread shortages of both. Demand remains strong, and the company has only recently managed to resolve the shortages.

If you’re wondering what powers the weight loss effect of these blockbuster drugs, we can tell you it’s a peptide called Semaglutide. As the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that mimics hormonal actions regulating blood sugar, slowing digestion, and reducing appetite. Other than their FDA-approved uses, the only difference between the two drugs is their dosages. Ozempic is tailored for diabetes at 0.5 to 1 mg per week, though off-label weight loss users typically double the dose. Wegovy is packaged in higher doses of up to 2.4 mg to provide the most effective and safe weight loss results.

“A patient seeking a pharmaceutical solution to help meet their weight loss goals can ask their physician to prescribe either of these medications,” says Dr. Swapna M. Kallikadan of Tampa, Florida’s Health + Glow primary care clinic. “Or they can simply ask their doctor for semaglutide,” she adds. “While some clinics only prescribe Ozempic and Wegovy, others, like Health + Glow, rely on compounded semaglutide formulations that are essentially the same with regard to the semaglutide active ingredient. When patients ask me, ‘Is Semaglutide the same as Ozempic or Wegovy?’ I tell them it is essentially the same weight loss drug without the brand name,” she concludes.

Semaglutide Weight Loss Results

Semaglutide’s ability to help people lose weight has been proven in several different clinical trials. In the “Sustain 7” follow-up trial of Ozempic, 300 patients were dosed weekly with 0.5 mg of semaglutide and lost an average of 10.1 pounds over 40 weeks. Another 310 patients dosed at 1.0 mg for the same period lost an average of 14.3 pounds. The “Step 1” trial leading up to the approval of Wegovy determined that 2.4 mg dosing of Semaglutide weekly combined with lifestyle intervention (diet and exercise) “was associated with sustained, clinically relevant reductions in body weight.” During the 68-week trial, the 1,306 participants who took Semaglutide lost an average of 14.9% of their body weight, or an average of 33 to 44 pounds each. On average, those in the placebo group only lost about 2.4% of their body weight. A similar trial—“Step 5”—covering two years, achieved slightly better results, with an average loss of 15.2% of body weight, or 36.8 pounds.

Semaglutide Weight Loss in Tampa with Health + Glow

Health + Glow customizes its Semaglutide Medical Weight Loss program to address each patient’s health profile, lifestyle, and weight loss goals. We combine Semaglutide with an achievable diet and exercise plan and offer patients supplementary weight loss services like fitness classes and nutritional counseling. While Semaglutide alone can help patients lose weight, lifestyle changes significantly enhance its efficacy. Thus, our holistic approach to helping patients meet their weight loss goals.

Your Semaglutide medical weight loss in Tampa begins with a comprehensive medical evaluation to determine if you’re a good candidate for the peptide and to establish the appropriate dosing for your customized plan. Using compounded Semaglutide instead of Ozempic or Wegovy gives us greater flexibility in customizing and adjusting dosage amounts suitable for each patient’s unique needs. We source our high-quality Semaglutide from a respected pharmaceutical company regulated by the FDA. To ensure safety and efficacy, we closely monitor every patient during their weight loss journey and can easily adjust any element of the weight loss plan if needed.

Begin Your Weight Loss Journey in Tampa with Health + Glow

If you’d like to learn more about our Semaglutide Medical Weight Loss program, the primary care experts at Health + Glow would be happy to talk to you. We can detail how your weight loss journey can work with your distinct lifestyle and showcase other patient weight loss success stories. With our primary care facility, medical spa, and IV therapy station, we’re dedicated to offering our patients an exceptional range of health and beauty treatments. To learn more, schedule an appointment today.