Wegovy Kidney: How Common, How Long It Lasts, What Helps
The Wegovy label names acute kidney injury as a reported side effect but gives no trial rate for it.
- In the label
- Listed, no rate given
- Label term
- acute kidney injury
A quick look at Wegovy
Its half-life is about 1 week: after 7 d, half is gone, and five half-lives (35 d) leave about 3%.
For STEP 1 at 68 weeks, results showed 14.9% of body weight, compared with 2.4% on placebo.
Monthly prices in US dollars cover the list price and self-pay offers, with each figure taken from the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.
What the Wegovy label lists instead
No rate for kidney problems appears in the Wegovy label. The label lists five side effects most often and gives a rate for each one.
| Side effect | Placebo | Wegovy 2.4 mg | More than placebo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 16% | 44% | +28 points |
| Diarrhea | 16% | 30% | +14 points |
| Vomiting | 6% | 24% | +18 points |
| Constipation | 11% | 24% | +13 points |
| Abdominal Pain | 10% | 20% | +10 points |
Source: the Wegovy label (DailyMed).
Source: FDA DailyMed label.
What the Wegovy label says
Here are the label's exact words about kidney problems:
“Acute kidney injury occurred in clinical trials for weight reduction in 7 adult patients (0.4 cases per 100 patient years) receiving WEGOVY versus 4 patients”
Source: FDA DailyMed label.