Ozempic may improve skin condition hidradenitis suppurativa: study

Add this common skin condition to the list of ailments that Ozempic can improve.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is an inflammatory disorder that causes lesions that affects at least 1 in 100 people and is strongly associated with obesity.

Treatments include weight loss, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, surgery and laser therapy — and possibly eventually semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.

In a new study, 30 obese patients with varying degrees of HS received semaglutide weekly for about eight months.

Participants lost an average of 13 pounds, improved blood sugar, reduced inflammation in their bodies, and experienced fewer HS flares.

On average, the frequency of these episodes ranged from once every 8 ½ weeks to once every 12 weeks.

The results were presented this week at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology conference in Amsterdam.

“Our findings suggest that semaglutide, even at modest doses, may provide significant benefits in the management of HS,” said Dr. Daniel Lyons, lead researcher from University Hospital St. Vincent in Dublin, Ireland.

“While the drug’s role in promoting weight loss is well established, what is particularly exciting is its potential to also reduce the frequency of HS flares, contributing to marked improvements in patients’ quality of life,” he added. Lyons.

He says larger trials are needed to confirm these findings and assess the effect of higher doses of semaglutide.

“Ultimately, we hope our preliminary data will encourage dermatologists to consider weight loss medications as an adjunct to existing HS treatments and inspire further research in this area aimed at improving outcomes for people who live with this challenging condition,” Lyons said.

The US Food and Drug Administration approved Ozempic in 2017 to treat type 2 diabetes in adults and Wegovy in 2021 for adult weight loss.

Since then, researchers have been trying to figure out what else Ozempic and similar drugs might treat, such as substance abuse and heart disease.