Nevolat

What is Nevolat?

Nevolat is a prescription medication for weight loss. It contains the active ingredient liraglutide, which is the generic name for Saxenda. It works the same way as Saxenda, by curbing appetite and cravings (especially for sweet, savoury or fatty foods),^[1] while helping you feel full after eating less.

It comes in a pre-filled pen that you inject once a day according to a dose escalation plan. This means that you’ll start with a low dose (0.6mg) in the first week, and then gradually increase it by 0.6mg every week, until you reach the final (maintenance) dose of 3mg by week five.

Nevolat has been approved for weight management in people with a BMI (your weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height in metres) of at least 30, or at least 27 if you have health issues like type 2 diabetes, sleep apnoea, or high blood pressure. 

It works best when used as part of a more complex weight loss programme that includes physical activity and a balanced, calorie-restricted diet.

How does Nevolat work?

Nevolat contains liraglutide, which is a type of medication called a GLP-1 receptor agonist. The same ingredient is also used in other medications that help to manage type 2 diabetes.

Liraglutide works by mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which results in a series of effects in your body:^[2]

• Increased insulin secretion: This allows your muscles and liver to use glucose (a type of sugar) more effectively. It also leads to better blood sugar control, which can reduce cravings (especially for sweets and carbs) and helps treat diabetes.
• Delayed gastric emptying: It reduces your stomach contractions and slows down the movement of food from your stomach to your gut. This increases feelings of fullness and decreases your food intake.
• Decreased appetite: It also activates key brain circuits to help you feel full after eating less, and reduces hunger and cravings for sweet, fatty, or savoury foods.
• Improved heart function: By binding to and activating the GLP-1 receptors in your heart cells and blood vessels, liraglutide promotes better heart function and lowers your blood pressure.^[3]
• Weight loss: All of these effects work together to produce real results. In a clinical trial involving 3731 people, the patients in the liraglutide group lost on average 8.4kg (18lb 8oz) over 56 weeks, while those in the placebo group lost a mean of 2.8kg (6lb 2oz).^[4]

Liraglutide has also been shown to have neuroprotective (protecting the brain from damage or injury) effects, which can make it useful for treating Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.^[5]

What doses of Nevolat are there?

Nevolat comes in one dose only, which is an injectable pen containing 6mg of liraglutide in one ml of solution for injection. The pens contain 3ml of this solution, and can deliver doses of 0.6mg, 1.2mg, 1.8mg, 2.4mg, and 3mg.

How to use Nevolat

You should always use Nevolat or any other medications exactly as instructed by your healthcare provider. You’ll be shown how to use the Nevolat pen, and you can also find step-by-step instructions in the leaflet that comes with your medication.

You can take it at any time of day, with or without food or drink. It’s best to use the pen around the same time each day to help you build a routine and lower the risk of missing your dose.

It’s important to do the injections subcutaneously (under your skin), not in a vein or muscle. The best places to inject Nevolat are the abdomen, upper arm, and the front of your thighs. You should also choose a different place every day, so that you don’t develop any lumps from the injections.

Typically, you’ll be advised to use Nevolat according to the following dose-escalation plan:

• Week 1: inject 0.6mg daily;
• Week 2: inject 1.2mg daily;
• Week 3: inject 1.8mg daily;
• Week 4: inject 2.4mg daily;
• Week 5: inject 3.0mg daily.

After five weeks, you’ll reach your maintenance dose of 3mg, which you can keep using until the end of your treatment.

Each pen is prefilled with 3ml of solution, containing 6mg of the active ingredient, liraglutide, per ml. You can select your daily dose by turning the dose selector on your pen back and forth until you reach the right dose.

When you inject your dose, press and hold the top button on your pen until the dose counter shows 0. To make sure you get the full dose, keep the needle in your skin and slowly count to six before removing it.

How long does Nevolat take to work?

Nevolat is absorbed quickly by your body and it begins to work soon after that. But you’ll only see results in terms of weight loss after a few days or weeks, depending from person to person. It works best when used as part of a plan that includes physical activity and a balanced, low-calorie diet.

Studies show that after 56 weeks, 63.2% of the patients in the liraglutide group lost 5% of their body weight or more, in comparison to only 27.1% in the placebo group.^[1]

What should I do if I make a mistake when using Nevolat?

If you make a mistake when selecting the dose on your Nevolat pen, just move the selector backwards and forwards until you reach the correct dose.

If you forget to take your dose and it’s been less than 12 hours since you were supposed to inject it, take your dose when you remember. Then continue the treatment as normal. But if more than 12 hours have passed, just skip that injection and take your dose the next day at your usual time.

If you inject too much Nevolat, contact your doctor straight away or go to your local A&E department. Watch out for common side effects like feeling or being sick, headaches, feeling weak or tired, changes in vision, or confusion.