Why Are People Turning to Urusa While Dieting with "Saxenda" and "Wegovy"?

Rapid Weight Loss Leads to Bile Stasis and Cholesterol Supersaturation
Urusa Gains Attention as a Preventive Treatment for Gallstones Caused by Weight Loss Injections

As the number of people receiving so-called "weight loss injections" such as Saxenda and Wegovy increases for weight reduction, interest in the liver function supplement Urusa is also rising.

On May 16, Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced that "Urusa 300mg" is emerging as a preventive treatment option for gallstones that can occur after rapid weight loss.

Currently, one of the approved indications for Urusa 300mg (active ingredient: ursodeoxycholic acid, UDCA) is the prevention of gallstones in obese patients who have experienced rapid weight loss.

When body weight decreases rapidly, the amount of cholesterol secreted by the liver increases, and food intake decreases, which reduces the frequency of gallbladder contraction and causes bile to stagnate for extended periods. As a result, if cholesterol in the bile remains supersaturated, cholesterol crystals can form, eventually developing into gallstones.

According to several international studies, rapid weight loss through low-calorie diets is closely associated with gallstone formation. A study by the research team led by Stinton LM, published in the international journal Gut & Liver, reported that gallstones developed in 30% to 71% of patients who experienced rapid weight loss. In particular, the risk of gallstone formation increased significantly when patients lost more than 1.5kg per week.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also reviewed the Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and reported research findings that GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) class drugs may cause gallbladder diseases, including gallstones. For this reason, pharmaceutical companies that manufacture and sell GLP-1 injectables specify in their product information that rapid weight loss can increase the risk of gallstone formation. A study published in 2022 in JAMA Internal Medicine reported that GLP-1 class drugs can suppress gallbladder motility, thereby increasing the risk of gallbladder and biliary tract diseases such as gallstones.

In addition, the preventive effect of UDCA against gallstones during rapid weight loss has already been confirmed in several international clinical studies. According to a research paper by Dr. Shiffman ML published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, when obese patients undergoing a very low-calorie diet were administered UDCA (300mg) twice daily, the incidence of gallstones was only 3%, which was significantly lower than the placebo group (28%).

Furthermore, a research team led by Dr. Marks JW published results in the international journal Digestive Diseases & Sciences, showing that patients who took UDCA during rapid weight loss through a very low-calorie diet maintained gallbladder contraction function and had lower cholesterol saturation in bile. These research findings suggest that Urusa can serve as a practical solution for preventing gallstone formation caused by rapid weight loss.

The gallstone preventive effect of Urusa has been demonstrated not only in obese patients but also in gastric cancer patients who have undergone gastrectomy. According to a research team led by Professor Lee Sanghyup at Seoul National University Hospital, the group that took UDCA 300mg had a gallstone formation rate of only about 8% to 10% over five years after surgery, whereas the placebo group exceeded 20%. This confirms that Urusa significantly reduces the incidence of gallstones in gastric cancer patients, whose risk of gallstone formation abnormally increases after gastrectomy.

Lee Changjae, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, stated, "Urusa 300mg can be used as a treatment option to prevent the unexpected side effect of gallstone formation, which is emerging amid the recent trend of GLP-1-based injectable obesity treatments, in addition to improving liver function. We plan to further clarify the role of Urusa within the new treatment paradigm of preventing complications after weight loss."