One of the most popular drugs in recent history could someday become less of a hassle to use. In new research presented Saturday, scientists in France have unveiled a novel hydrogel version of semaglutide, the active ingredient in the diabetes and weight loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy. The slow-releasing version should allow people to only need a monthly injection of these drugs, rather than once-a-week as currently required, the scientists say.
The research was conducted by scientists at the France-based biotech company Adocia, as part of the company’s overarching goal to create innovative formulations of existing drugs used for diabetes and obesity. The company has already developed versions of insulin that are being tested in large-scale clinical trials. This gel-based formulation of semaglutide is intended to address one of the known limitations of the drug—its adherence rate.
People taking semaglutide have lost on average 15% of their body weight in clinical trials, a level of success far above the results typically seen with diet and/or exercise alone. So far, it appears to be generally safe and tolerable as well, though people will commonly experience side effects like nausea, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. But in studies examining real-world use, only about 40% of people on the drug stay on it for at least a year. Some of this drop-off might be tied to semaglutide’s dosing schedule, which is once weekly for the injectable versions and once daily for the oral pill version (sold as Rybelsus).
To create their “Gelzepmic,” (formally known as AdoGel® Sema) the Adocia scientists blended together two degradable polymers. The resulting gel is designed to release a limited burst of the drug at first, then a steady release over a