Catherine Varney, DO
Catherine Varney, DO, an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine, was featured on more than 100 NPR affiliates nationally discussing a newly approved weight-loss pill.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a second GLP-1 pill for obesity treatment, this one developed by Eli Lilly. The new medication, Foundayo, is taken once daily and will compete with Novo Nordisk’s pill version of Wegovy, which received FDA approval in December. Patients now have a choice of pills instead of injections from both leading manufacturers of obesity treatments.
But Dr. Varney says her clinical experience suggests that patients aren’t particularly deterred by needles. “I can tell you of over the 1,000 patients that I have on GLP-1 therapy, not once has needle phobia been an issue,” she says. For her patients, cost has been the biggest obstacle to receiving care. She notes that those taking the Wegovy pill instead of injectable options are doing so because it’s more affordable.
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