Novo Nordisk Looking To Get Victoza Approved for Weight Loss

In April 2013, results from Novo Nordisk’s clinical trial of diabetes drug Victoza showed that the drug can help obese people lose weight.  The FDA has not yet granted Novo Nordisk approval for this indication, but with further studies planned, they hope to do so soon.

Both diabetes and insulin can cause weight gain, so the drug manufacturer hopes that approval for weight loss will turn Victoza into an even bigger moneymaker.  Sales have been up 58% in 2012.

Another small but separate trial on obese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome also showed positive weight loss results.  However, one of the doctors involved in the study pointed out that people should be cautious when getting excited about a potential weight loss indication because of the mechanism by which people lose weight with Victoza.

Victoza and other GLP-1 agonists delay gastric emptying and suppress appetite, leading to weight loss.  However, once the drug is stopped, it is likely that patients will see that weight return, possibly accompanied by additional weight.

In the few short years since its approval, Victoza has been come under the spotlight for its potentially deadly side effects, including thyroid and pancreatic cancers.  Regardless of the fact that the drug is slated for new long term studies to review its safety, Novo Nordisk is pushing for new indications of the drug as quickly as possible so it can make even more money off of it, regardless of whether it poses a serious health threat to the public or not.

With the obesity epidemic raging in this country, there will always be a large number of people that will want to try any pill that might solve their problem, thinking that if it is approved by the FDA, it must be safe.  This is far from the truth. Time and again, the FDA has shown its inability to safeguard public health until thousands of people have already been injured.

If you are one of the many who have taken Victoza and been injured, we want to help you.  Not only do you need compensation for your medical bills and lost wages, but the drugmakers should also be held responsible for the defective products they put on the market.  Contact an attorney at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP today to begin the process of recovery.