The Manila Times
GLOBAL pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk launched Friday a prescription-based management for obesity. Wegovy is a semaglutide 2.4 mg once-weekly injectable medication that mimics the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone, which is responsible for regulating appetite and blood sugar produced by the body. The drug can help individuals feel fuller for longer periods, reducing cravings and supporting sustained weight management. According to the Epidemiological Burden and Cost of Obesity in the Philippines (Epicob-PH), four in 10 Filipinos are obese, a problem that cost the Philippine economy approximately P1.9 trillion in 2025. During the launch of the new treatment in Makati City, Dr. Christiana Vida Montefalcon, head of Clinical, Medical, Regulatory and Pharmacovigilance of Novo Nordisk Philippines, emphasized the need for improved obesity treatments in the country — shifting from short-term weight loss to long-term overall health outcomes. “Science now helps us understand how the body regulates hunger, how metabolism adapts, and why sustained change can be difficult.... As long as it's prescribed by health care professionals and used as a part of a comprehensive care approach, these solutions are now moving us forward into the future,” said Montefalcon. Unlike Ozempic — which has also been proven to be effective in weight loss — Wegovy contains a higher dose of semaglutide. Ozempic is mainly used to treat Type 2 diabetes. Wegovy, on the other hand, is designed for obesity treatment. While semaglutide is not a cure-all, its benefits extend far beyond aesthetics, such as improving cardiometabolic health, aside from the reduction of food cravings and supporting fat loss. Novo Nordisk stressed the importance of pairing medication with lifestyle change, stressing that medication alone is not enough. “Medication alone is never going to solve all the problems. And we need the diet, and we need the exercise as well. So it's important to actually have the lifestyle change together with the medication,” said Wei Sun, general manager of Novo Nordisk Philippines. Wegovy, soon available in drugstores nationwide, cannot be dispensed without a prescription.
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