About this event

  • Date and time Mon 23 Sep 2024 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm
  • Location Royal Society of Medicine

Join us for this new event where speakers will debate the motion: “Semaglutide is a new ‘wonder drug’ and should be used more widely”. This meeting will help broaden perspectives, spark insightful debate on the uses of semaglutide, and address concerns about overmedication. 

Engage in the conversation by contributing insights and questions, critically evaluating arguments, and considering diverse perspectives. Through live polling and interactive audience debates, engage with four invited speakers, who will argue for and against the motion. We want to hear your voice! 

Semaglutide launched in the UK on 4 September 2023. Manufactured by Novo Nordisk, it is a synthetic version of the naturally occurring hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). It is available under the brand names of Wegovy and Ozempic, and is given as a weekly injection. Wegovy is approved for managing overweight and obesity in patients who meet certain criteria, and Ozempic is used for treating type 2 diabetes. Other drugs such as Tirzepatide with a similar mechanism of action are also available.

Recent research shows that semaglutide may also have cardiovascular benefits such as reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, as well as being associated with reduced use of smoking cessation medication and counselling. It also appears to offer unexpected benefits in the treatment and prevention of cognitive decline and substance misuse.

However, concerns have been raised about overuse of semaglutide, particularly when obtained online by individuals without prescription. The medication can cause unpleasant side-effects such as nausea, bloating and vomiting, but for some people there can be more dangerous complications such as inflammation of the pancreas.

The Royal Society of Medicine is committed to continuing its proud tradition of creating opportunities for healthcare professionals and others to learn from balanced and informed conversations on important medical topics. This Great Debate aims to drive discussions forward, leveraging the collective wisdom of the audience to enrich the current dialogue. Whether you're a healthcare professional, a student aspiring to join the field, or simply someone passionate about the future of healthcare, this event is for you. Expand your understanding, challenge your beliefs, and walk away inspired to be a catalyst for change in the future of healthcare. 

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Key speakers

Dr Ivan Koychev

Senior Clinical Researcher, University of Oxford

Speaker's biography

Dr Ivan Koychev is a Clinical Academic Psychiatrist at the University of Oxford where he leads a research group working on the identification and intervention in preclinical dementia. In this context he leads a multi-site clinical trial testing the effects on tau accumulation of a glucagon-like receptor-1 agonist (semaglutide) in amyloid positive ageing adults with no dementia. His group also leverages digital therapeutic approaches to develop non-pharmacological methods to reduce dementia risk through lifestyle modification and cognitive remediation. He is the co-lead on a large study funded by Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society, NIHR and the People's Postcode Lottery aiming to establish the clinical utility of blood biomarkers in dementia. This work builds on his PhD at the University of Manchester (optimisation of proof-of-concept clinical trial methodology for cognitive enhancers) and subsequent NIHR Integrated Clinical Training in London and Oxford.  His clinical work  is focused on the assessment and management of patients with neuropsychiatric presentations in acute medical settings

Dr Harriet Treacy

Co-founder, Beyondbmi and Emergency Medicine Registrar, Beacon Hospital, Dublin

Dr Felicity Thomas

Associate Professor in Culture and Health Inequalities, University of Exeter

Dr Adam Collins

Associate Professor of Nutrition, University of Surrey

Speaker's biography

Dr Adam Collins qualified in nutrition and metabolism in the 1990s before completing his PhD in body composition and energy expenditure and pursuing a career in academia. He is now Associate Professor of Nutrition at the University of Surrey where he leads the BSc and MSc programmes in Human Nutrition.

A Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) for over 20 years, he is also a trustee and fully elected council member of the Association for Nutrition (AfN), the professional body of Nutritionists in the UK, as well as deputy chair of the Accreditation Committee. Adam has been running a private nutrition consultancy (nutriffic) since 2005, providing individual nutrition counselling for clients. He is currently is the Head of Nutrition for Form Nutrition, having previously served as a nutrition consultant for a Weight Management company (eurodiet).

His specialist research interests are in body composition, energy balance, intermittent fasting, meal timing and composition for metabolic health, and exercise nutrition. He has a record of training PhD students on energy balance research, intermittent fasting, carbohydrate manipulation, and mathematic modelling of weight loss. He has published work in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences.

Adam has acted as an Expert commentator on media topics related to diet and weight management and is a contributor to articles for the Conversation: https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-collins-1179004/articles. Adam has also appeared in the media and TV on topics related to eating around exercise, meal timing and intermittent fasting

Agenda

View the programme

Registration, tea and coffee
Introduction of the motion and initial vote

Professor Gillian Leng CBE, President, Royal Society of Medicine and
Professor Sir Simon Wessely, Past President, Royal Society of Medicine and Debate Moderator

First speaker for the motion
First speaker against the motion
Second speaker for the motion
Second speaker against the motion
Audience participation
First speaker for the motion
First speaker against the motion
Final vote and closing remarks

Professor Sir Simon Wessely and Professor Gillian Leng CBE

Close of meeting

Location

Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole St, Marylebone, London, W1G 0AE, United Kingdom

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this event are of the speakers themselves and not of the RSM.

Registration for this event will close on 22 September 2024 at 1:00am (BST)

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