The results of a clinical trial published this week found that the active ingredient in the diabetes and weight loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy was linked with a near halving of reported pain among patients with knee osteoarthritis and obesity.
The study funded by Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy, involved 407 participants taking either the active ingredient semaglutide or a placebo for 68 weeks. Roughly 82 percent of participants were women.
To measure pain, researchers used the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC). The WOMAC involves participants scoring pain, difficulty and physical function when doing everyday activities like walking up and down stairs or sitting.
At the start of the trial, the average WOMAC pain score among participants was 70.9. By the 68th week, those taking semaglutide reported an average WOMAC pain score of 29.2, while those taking a placebo reported an average pain score of 43.4.
The semaglutide participants on average had a body weight reduction of 13.7 percent, while those taking a placebo had a 3.2 percent reduction on average.
“Among participants with obesity and knee osteoarthritis with moderate-to-severe pain, treatment with once-weekly injectable semaglutide resulted in significantly greater reductions in body weight and pain related to knee osteoarthritis than placebo,” the study’s conclusion stated.
As the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center notes, overweight women have almost four times the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis when compared to non-obese women. For obese men, the risk is five times higher than their non-obese counterparts.
GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide have been explored for uses beyond obesity and diabetes. Semaglutide has been studied for potential benefits for treating addiction, kidney failure, liver disease and early Alzheimer’s disease.