Ozempic is STILL less effective at burning fat and far more expensive in the long run than weight loss surgery, study shows

They’ve been hyped as an antidote to America’s obesity crisis — but weight-loss drugs like Ozempic are still more expensive and less effective than plain old surgery.

It found that the injections cost twice as much and led to about four percent less weight loss compared to surgery that has been around for years.

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that weight-loss drugs containing semaglutide cost more than $53,000 over five years, compared to a ‘tummy stitch’ that came in at less than $20,000.

The surgery, in which part of the stomach is sewn together to make it smaller, was also found to be more effective in maintaining the greatest weight loss after five years – people’s BMI after the weight loss surgery was 31.7 compared to 33.0.

Researchers said the price of Ozempic and similar drugs would need to be reduced threefold, from $13,618 to $3,591, for it to be the preferred option.

Semaglutide has become popular because of its non-invasiveness, ease of use as a weekly injection and short-term effectiveness, the researchers said.

An endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG), on the other hand, is a one-off procedure that can be repeated a few years later if the stomach has stretched or the stitches have loosened.

ESG is a minimally invasive weight loss procedure that reduces the size of the abdomen without the need for an incision through the skin.

TV celebrity Stacey Silva had the procedure and reality star Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson will also undergo the surgery.

The study compared ESG with semaglutide in treating patients with class two obesity, meaning they had a BMI of 35-39.9 over five years.

The base case they looked at was a 45-year-old patient with a BMI of 37. They then used publicly available data from clinical trials to simulate other hypothetical patients.

The researchers simulated two treatment strategies – semaglutide and ESG – versus no treatment.

An ESG is performed using a flexible tube that is passed down the throat with a camera attached, and then a surgeon closes off part of the abdomen with stitches.

This reduces the size, which limits how much someone can eat.

The model included the costs of ESG, repeat ESG and the costs of treating possible side effects after surgery, which could include temporary stomach pain, nausea and vomiting.

As with any type of surgery, there are also very small risks of serious complications from the surgery itself. These can include bleeding, infection and tears in the stomach.

ONE meta-analysis of studies found that the rate of adverse effects ranged from 1.5 percent to 2.3 percent.

For Ozempic, researchers calculated the monthly cost of semaglutide, which is about $1,000 a month.

An endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty usually costs between $7,000 and $9,000, according to Bagshahi Bariatric and General Surgery in Texas. Health insurance can cover part of the costs if the person is clinically obese.

Semaglutide is a once-weekly injection that works by delaying stomach emptying, leading to patients feeling fuller for longer and a decreased overall appetite.

The shots can trigger a number of nasty side effects. Users often complain of nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea.

In one study, about 15.8 percent of patients using Ozempic suffered nausea, 7.3 percent abdominal pain, and 8.5 percent diarrhea.

In more severe cases, the drug has been shown to increase the risk of paralyzed stomach, pancreatitis and intestinal blockages.

Patients must stay on the medication for life, and since they can regain any weight loss if they stop taking it.

The study was published in the journal JAMA Network.