Does the weight loss injection liraglutide also work in children?

Last Updated on November 2, 2024 by Joseph Gut – thasso

October 31, 2024 – Severe obesity is already a major problem for many children – all the more so because obese children very often become obese adults. There are currently no obesity medications for six to twelve year olds. Could weight loss injections for people under 18 help? Yes, possibly. The active ingredient liraglutide, marketed as the weight loss injection Saxenda in the EU and the USA, can perhaps prevent this process. This is the result of a recent study, which indicates that the active ingredient liraglutide is also effective in children.

The problem begins with small children who usually eat about three times as much sweets as recommended. So far, there is no medication for these young patients to treat obesity. Most adolescents with obesity already had this by the time they started school. So far, the only method available for prevention/treatment is lifestyle change as part of family education. That is easy to say, but very difficult to implement. An additional intervention option for children that starts as early as possible would therefore be important.

The new study, which was presented in the specialist journal “New England Journal of Medicine”, ran for a period of 56 weeks. It included 82 severely obese children in the USA. 56 of them received a daily injection of Saxenda (liraglutide), 26 placebo injections. All participants were also given individual advice on healthy eating and physical activity.

The average body mass index (BMI) decreased by 5.8 percent in the children in the liraglutide group, while it increased by 1.6 percent in the test group. In general, all children gained weight as they grew, but the children in the liraglutide group only gained 1.6 percent, and those in the placebo group gained 10 percent of their initial weight. The observed weight change in the treated children is ten times that expected from a lifestyle change, the study continues. The observed side effects correspond to those previously observed in analyses with adolescents and adults, the study continues. These were often nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Almost 11 percent of the children who received liraglutide stopped taking it because of the side effects.

Long-term effects still unclear

As with adolescents and adults, however, the question arises as to the extent to which the substance is suitable and safe for long-term therapy. This question applies not only to children between the ages of six and twelve, but to all people on this therapy. All that is known so far is that the majority of those affected regained weight when the drug was stopped.

According to current knowledge, liraglutide must therefore be taken long-term for decades. What long-term effects this could have is still unclear because this and similar drugs have not been in use long enough.

When using liraglutide in children, it is particularly important to remember that, although there was no evidence in the current study that liraglutide had a detrimental effect on changes in height, bone age or pubertal status, further long-term follow-up of the participants and their growth patterns is required. The side effects already observed in the study corresponded to those previously observed in analyses with adolescents and adults, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Almost 11 percent of the children who received liraglutide stopped taking it due to the side effects

Researchers assume that liraglutide will in future be suitable primarily for children with extreme obesity and not for all children with “normal” obesity. This small group of patients is characterized by a strong biological predisposition to obesity. A defect in the central regulation of hunger and satiety is probably characteristic. This is exactly where liraglutide comes in. Liraglutide is a so-called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It binds to the GLP-1 receptor. This inhibits appetite, among other things. The active ingredient is also approved in Europe for the treatment of diabetes and obesity in adolescents and adults. Studies have shown that successor drugs from the same substance group as liraglutide, namely semaglutide (brand name “Wegovy”) and tirzepatide (“Mounjaro”), are more effective and do not need to be injected daily. However, there are currently no studies on the tolerability and effectiveness of these two active ingredients in children.

See here a short sequence on Liraglutide in children:

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