Saxenda Aids Weight Loss in Kids as Young as 6

On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, researchers revealed that the weight-loss medication liraglutide can help obese children lower their body mass index (BMI) and achieve a healthier weight. The study's findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Madrid. This research is significant as it is the first to demonstrate the impact of liraglutide, commercially known as Saxenda, on children aged 6 to 11.

Dr. Claudia Fox, co-director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at the University of Minnesota and one of the study's authors, expressed optimism about the results. She highlighted that children facing obesity have had very few options for treatment until now. Traditionally, the advice given to children has been to "try harder" with diet and exercise, but this approach often falls short. The introduction of a medication targeting the physiological aspects of obesity brings new hope for healthier and more productive lives for these children.

Currently, weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are available for most adults and children aged 12 and older. However, younger children have had to depend solely on diet, exercise, and counseling to manage their weight. Dr. Fox emphasized the prevalence and seriousness of childhood obesity, noting that it often extends into adulthood and is linked with severe health issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and premature death. Hence, early intervention is crucial.

The conventional treatment for obesity primarily involves lifestyle changes, such as improved diet and increased physical activity. However, when used alone, these methods have shown limited effectiveness. Presently, no medication is approved to treat general obesity in children under 12 years old.

Liraglutide gained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2014 for weight loss in adults, and this approval was extended to adolescents aged 12 to 17 in 2020.

The latest study investigated liraglutide's effects on children between 6 and 11 years old with high BMIs. The average weight of the 10-year-old participants was about 155 pounds. Eighty-two children participated, with 56 receiving daily injections of liraglutide and the remaining receiving a placebo. All participants also received counseling to promote a healthier diet and exercise regimen of at least an hour of moderate to high-intensity activity daily.

After a little over a year, the children's BMIs in the liraglutide group decreased by 7.4 percentage points more than those in the placebo group. Specifically, the liraglutide group saw a 5.8% drop in BMI, while the placebo group experienced a 1.6% increase. Dr. Fox noted that although there is no consensus on what constitutes a clinically meaningful BMI reduction in children, a 5% decrease is associated with improvements in some obesity-related health conditions.

The study found liraglutide to be safe for young children, though participants in both groups experienced side effects. Gastrointestinal issues like nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting were more common in the liraglutide group, but these issues typically lessened over time, and few children withdrew from the study due to side effects. However, similar to other weight-loss drugs, BMI tended to rise again once the medication was discontinued.

Experts in weight loss suggest that these findings indicate liraglutide could be beneficial for younger patients. Dr. Nerys Astbury from the University of Oxford noted that despite the current cost of these medications, their potential to reduce obesity-related health risks and improve long-term health should be considered. 

Simon Cork from Anglia Ruskin University pointed out the complexities of developing anti-obesity drugs for children, given their continuous growth. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that appetite suppression does not negatively impact children's development. Cork acknowledged the positive evidence of liraglutide's safety and efficacy but stressed the need for further long-term studies to fully understand its impact.

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