AstraZeneca Chief Warns Weight Loss Drugs Can Shrink Muscle Mass

Different weight loss drugs work in different ways, and their side effects can vary. Some medications may affect muscle mass, while others may have different impacts on the body.

Using popular weight loss drugs like Wegovey can make patients lose their muscle mass, AstraZeneca chief Pascal Soriot has warned. Obesity drugs including Wegovy, which mimics a hormone that tricks the body into satiety, are currently being used by hundreds of thousands of people. However, Soriot warned patients and called out companies to make the drugs to target "more fat and less muscles", the Telegraph reported.

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"Today you lose weight but you lose fat and you lose muscle. The problem with many of (the treatments) is when you stop, you regain weight, because obesity is a chronic disease. "Most people as soon as they stop taking the medicines, they regain fat, but not so much the muscle that they have lost unless, of course, they go to the gym,¡± Soriot was quoted as saying.

He also asked pharma companies to "improve the quality" of weight loss drugs to make them last longer and target them more towards fat loss. This comes as a slew of studies have pointed out several risks associated with these popular drugs like Ozempic, Rybelsus and Saxenda.

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After examining about 2 million patients with type 2 diabetes or obesity, researchers at the Case Western Reserve University found no evidence to support the EMA's concern that semaglutide may cause suicidal ideations.

Obesity treatments are witnessing a boom in demand, with experts expecting the industry to be worth $90bn (74bn pounds) within the coming years. Soriot noted that this huge level of demand may increase plastic packaging, and raise environmental concerns.

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It's crucial for individuals considering or using weight loss drugs to consult with their healthcare providers, who can provide personalized advice based on their health conditions and goals.