Medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, which are used to treat type 2 diabetes and boost weight loss, may also help reduce knee osteoarthritis-related pain in people with obesity, a trial finds.

“There are genetic aspects, physical aspects, and inflammatory aspects,” he says. Ozempic can help people to lose weight, which addresses the physical link between obesity and osteoarthritis, but it may also help to tamp down on bodily inflammation, Dr. Mandelbaum says.

A clinical trial funded by Novo Nordisk found that Ozempic (semaglutide) was linked with reduced pain among patients with knee osteoarthritis and obesity.

People who received weekly injections of semaglutide -- the active agent in the diabetes drug Ozempic and the weight-loss medication Wegovy -- had a nearly 14% decrease in their body weight after 68 weeks,

New research shows that weight loss drugs semaglutide, known as Ozempic and Wegovy, not only aid in weight loss but also reduce knee osteoarthritis pain. In a clinical trial, patients who used the drug along with diet and exercise experienced significant weight loss and pain relief.

A new study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine found that GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy which have semaglutide can help obese people manage knee arthritis. Added weight can place more stress on the knee,