There is a drug that has reduced deaths from Covid-19 during the pandemic. New scientific evidence seems to demonstrate that semaglutide, also used for weight loss, has helped contain deaths due to the spread of the virus.
Fewer deaths among obese patients who took it
A study indicates that obese and overweight patients who took it during the pandemic had fewer deaths from Covid. The research, published in the journal of the American College of Cardiology, conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, analyzed the effect of semaglutide on mortality and deaths related to Covid based on data from the large Select study focused on reducing cardiovascular risk, funded by Novo Nordisk and carried out on more than 17,000 patients.
Infection was the most common cause of non-cardiovascular death in the study group. And while people taking semaglutide were just as likely to contract Covid, they did have fewer serious adverse events or deaths related to Sars-Cov-2. Researchers don’t know whether the results are due to weight loss or other effects, so further studies will be needed to explore potential mechanisms of action. However, the drug has raised alarm in the US where the FDA has issued an alert to inform patients and healthcare workers about the risks of overdose associated with its use, after a spike in cases in recent months mainly linked to the spread of galenic preparations and counterfeit drugs.