Liraglutide Effective for Childhood Obesity, Study Confirms

Recent studies have highlighted the effectiveness and safety of the weight-loss drug liraglutide, marketed as Saxenda and Victoza, in reducing body mass index (BMI) in children as young as six. The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that children aged 6 to 12 who received daily injections of liraglutide experienced significant reductions in BMI compared to those who received a placebo, with a 7.4% reduction over a year. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer, plans to seek regulatory approval for this age group, potentially making liraglutide the first FDA-approved obesity treatment for children under 12. Despite its promise, concerns remain about long-term safety, potential side effects like nausea and vomiting, and the necessity of lifelong use. The results come amid growing interest in obesity treatments for children, with Novo Nordisk also developing other promising therapies such as Amycretin, which showed substantial weight loss in early trials.