Update 22 March 2026: Latest seasonal influenza vaccine (Southern Hemisphere) now available.
Update 22 March 2026: Latest seasonal influenza vaccine (Southern Hemisphere) now available.
A paradigm shift is occurring in the treatment of metabolic diseases such as stroke, heart disease and chronic kidney disease to prevent the disease from occurring in the first place through the basic adage doctors have always preached: exercise, healthy diet, alcohol/ tobacco abstinence, stress management, and quality sleep. (See diagram below)
Yet it’s easier said than done – less than 5 percent of the population can sustain the perfect lifestyle beyond a year, and maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) below 23 kg/m² for Singaporean/ Asians.
Having excess or dysfunctional adipose tissue then leads to chronic diseases “risk factors” such as Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes, Fatty Liver, Metabolic syndrome, Kidney disease, and there is increasing evidence of interplay between the disease, i.e. diabetics are much more likely to develop fatty liver and kidney disease and vice-versa.
GLP-1 RA is a class of drug developed in the past decade to fight obesity, treat chronic metabolic disease, so as to reduce risk of complications of heart attack, stroke, chronic kidney failure, therefore promoting healthy longevity.
Wegovy® is the brand name for the drug molecule semaglutide, which is the most researched and studied medication out of all the GLP-1 RA with robust safety data and proven efficacy. Its predecessor Ozempic® may be more commonly known, but Wegovy® is the only semaglutide that is FDA-approved to treat obesity in the absence of Type 2 Diabetes.
Obesity is a key driver of cardio-kidney-liver-metabolic syndrome (CKLM syndrome) which accounts for most of the world’s morbidity and mortality,
There is much celebrity-hype and popularity around the drug due to its weight-loss effects, but it’s actually the Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE)-reduction benefits and kidney-protective benefits, even in non-diabetic patients, that is much to be celebrated about.
It is interesting to note that MACE-reduction / kidney protective health benefits from GLP-1A comes from losing 10-15% of your body weight, however, ~ 70% of the health benefits occur even in the absence of significant weight loss, and this is why scientists are still figuring out how GLP-1 RA is increasing lifespan.
GLP-1A drugs are never short-cuts or “magic pill (magic injection)”’ to lose weight.
It is a prescription-drug started by our doctor after reviewing your medical history and you must meet at least one of the following:
It cannot be a stand-alone treatment and must accompany substantial lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, especially resistance training to prevent muscle loss.
Contraindications to GLP-1A includes Pregnancy & Breastfeeding, personal or family history of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2), history of Pancreatitis, severe Kidney Impairment, moderately severe or unstable Diabetic Retinopathy, history of eating disorder such as Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia.
Wegovy® is administered weekly as a painless injection in the subcutaneous region (fatty layer of the skin), most commonly and easiest in the abdomen, and also the thigh or upper arm. You can easily perform these injections on your own, and more information can be found here.
Wegovy® can be left at room temperature for up to 6 weeks once opened, but we would advise for refrigeration due to Singapore’s climate.
It is important to adhere to the escalation staircase during initiation or restarting the drug, always “start low and go slow”, even if you have been on higher doses before but have stopped for some time.
Remember, you will reap cardiovascular/kidney protection benefits as soon as 2 weeks into your treatment, even in the absence of significant weight loss, and therefore do not be in a rush to lose weight!
Steps | Dose | Objective | Titration Rule |
Step 1 | 0.25 mg | Induction | Mandatory 4-week period. Do not accelerate. Reduces food noise at best. |
Step 2 | 0.5 mg | Escalation | If significant nausea occurs, remain at 0.25mg for 2 extra weeks. |
Step 3 | 1.0 mg | Therapeutic (Low) | Assess weight loss. Some patients respond well here and do not need higher doses. |
Step 4 | 1.7 mg | Therapeutic (Mid) | Standard maintenance dose for many Asian patients. |
Step 5 | 2.4 mg | Target Dose | Maximum dose. Only escalate if weight loss <5% at lower doses. |
Our prices are intentionally kept among the lowest among clinics & hospitals so as to improve access for our patients who stand to benefit the most for their cardiovascular-kidney -liver metabolic health, and is strictly prescribed for patients who meet criteria only.
Consultation is a must for first-time prescriptions from our clinic (even if you have been prescribed the medicine from other clinics) and standard consultation fees start from $28/ $30.52(w/GST) on weekday mornings.
We do allow repeat prescriptions for up to 6 months without consultation fees if you are assessed to be stable, and our doctor will still perform check-in consultation calls (complimentary) to make sure you are on the right-track.
Wegovy Dosage | Price (w/o GST) | Price (w/GST) | Monthly cost (w/GST) (using *Click-counting) |
0.25 mg | $330 | $359.70 | $185.3 |
0.5 mg | $340 | $370.6 | $190.75 |
1.0 mg | $350 | $381.50 | ~ $342.57 |
1.7 mg | $550 | $599.50 | N.A. |
2.4 mg | $580 | $632.20 | N.A. |
*Click-counting with a higher-dose pen is a strategy to reduce costs however with draw-backs. If you are comfortable and confident in administering the medication
CHAS and Medisave can be used if you suffer from a chronic disease in addition to obesity, subject to MOH Chronic Disease Management guidelines and CHAS/ Medisave limits.
Rybelsus indicated for persons living with obesity (PLO) with Type 2 Diabetes. It is used off-label for obesity treatment.
It is a peptide molecule having to travel through the stomach acidic environment, therefore it has to taken
It is a good option for patients preferring a tablet, also it improves diabetes profile and derives health benefits from cardiovascular-kidney protection as well.
Rybelsus Dosage | Price (w/o GST) | Price (w/GST) |
3 mg | $168 | $183.12 |
7 mg | $259 | $282.31 |
14 mg | $267 | $291.03 |
Mounjaro® contains Tirzepatide, a dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist currently approved only for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, whereas Wegovy contains Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for chronic weight management and also for reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in adults with established cardiovascular disease. For obesity treatment, tirzepatide is marketed as Zepbound (not available in Singapore) rather than Mounjaro.
Our prices are intentionally kept among the lowest among clinics & hospitals so as to improve access for our patients who stand to benefit the most for their cardiovascular-kidney -liver metabolic health, and is strictly prescribed for patients who meet criteria only.
Consultation is a must for first-time prescriptions from our clinic (even if you have been prescribed the medicine from other clinics) and standard consultation fees start from $28/ $30.52(w/GST) on weekday mornings.
We do allow repeat prescriptions for up to 6 months without consultation fees if you are assessed to be stable, and our doctor will still perform check-in consultation calls (complimentary) to make sure you are on the right-track.
Mounjaro Dosage | Price (w/o GST) | Price (w/GST) | Monthly cost (w/GST) (using *Click-counting) |
2.5 mg | $385 | $419.65 | $283.40 |
5 mg | $520 | $566.80 | $346.08 |
7.5 mg | $630 | $686.70 | $435.46 |
10 mg | $635 | $692.15 | $580.61 |
15 mg | $799 | $870.91 | N.A. |
*Click-counting with a higher-dose pen is a strategy to reduce costs however with draw-backs. If you are comfortable and confident in administering the medication