Liraglutide: Saxenda weight loss injection available from age 6

Liraglutide was the first GLP-1 agonist to be used in Obesity even without type 2 diabetes . The corresponding drug Saxenda® from Novo Nordisk has been on the market in Germany since 2016. As early as 2021, EMA has extended approval to adolescents, i.e., 12- to 17-year-olds . Today, the approval recommendation for 6- to 11-year-olds followed.

As for adolescents and adults, the Weight loss injections should only be used in addition to a healthy diet and increased physical activity. Obesity, i.e. significant overweight, is diagnosed in children under 12 years of age via the Body mass index (BMI) in relative comparison to peers, defined by percentiles. The preparation is indicated if a A child 's BMI must be at or above the 95th percentile, meaning they are in the top 5 percent of their weight class for their age and height. At the same time, their body weight must be over 45 kilograms.

For comparison: An average six-year-old boy is about 116 cm tall and weighs 20 kilograms (50th percentile); a six-year-old girl averages just under that. 11-year-old boys and girls both weigh an average of 36 kg and are 145 cm tall. Pediatricians offera BMI calculator for children and adolescents online. For adolescents, the product information already includes cutoff points based on age, weight, and gender.

Treatment with Saxenda should be interrupted and re-evaluated if the patient has not lost at least 4 percent of their body mass index (BMI) after 12 weeks on 3.0 mg liraglutide per day or the maximum tolerated dose. Side effects in clinical trials were consistent with those seen in adults, primarily nausea and diarrhea.

To date, no GLP-1 agonists have been approved for children under the age of twelve. According to the Robert Koch Institute, approximately two million children in Germany were recently overweight, 800,000 of whom were obese. In addition to genetic predisposition and family lifestyle, external factors are also blamed for this. Experts have long been calling for mandatory and clear food labeling, bans on advertising specifically aimed at children (including those by influencers), and well-structured teaching of nutrition skills in daycare centers.