By Dr. Tiffany Genewick

If you’ve been considering weight loss injections, it’s more important than ever to work with a medical professional like me here in Buffalo. The FDA has issued warnings about unapproved and compounded GLP‑1 drugs—like semaglutide and tirzepatide—being sold falsely online with incorrect labeling, unknown quality, or unsafe dosage instructions.

In contrast, I only provide high-quality and FDA‑approved semaglutide and tirzepatide for my patients. When your weight loss journey is managed under clinical supervision, you benefit from well‑studied safety, precise dosing, ongoing monitoring, and real results. While my patients want to feel their clothes looser as soon as possible, I also work with them on a long-term plan to sustain weight loss over time. It takes time, and it does work.

For example, in real‑world settings with weekly semaglutide treatment, adults with obesity lost body weight reductions of:

~ 3.8% after 4 weeks.

~5.9% at 3 months, and

~10.9% at 6 months, with many patients achieving up to 15% weight loss. Another study showed that in the STEP* trials, semaglutide plus lifestyle changes led to ~15% weight loss after 68 weeks, vs. about 2.4% with lifestyle intervention alone.

When you work with me, I evaluate your medical history, lab results, and weight‐loss goals. We set a safe dose, manage side effects, track progress monthly, and make adjustments as needed. It’s not just about losing weight—it’s about doing it in a safe, sustainable way so your health improves long-term. At my office, we can treat all of you so you feel good both inside and out.

If you’re ready for medically supervised weight loss—semaglutide or tirzepatide injections—let’s talk. You deserve care you can trust and results that last.

*The STEP trials—short for Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with Obesity—are a series of landmark, large-scale, placebo-controlled clinical studies that evaluated the effectiveness and safety of semaglutide, a GLP‑1 receptor agonist, for chronic weight management in adults.

Sources:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The Journal of the American Medical Association

UCLA Health

By Dr. Tiffany Genewick

Weight loss is hard enough, and the confusion around which weight loss medication utilizing glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) is safe and available can cause even more frustration. Recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warnings highlight serious risks associated with purchasing compounded GLP‑1 medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide from online sources or compounding pharmacies. These non‑FDA-approved versions have been tied to dosing errors, contamination, and dangerous impurities—including overdoses and hospitalizations.

That’s why, at my Buffalo area practice, male and female patients receive only lyophilized semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy®/Ozempic®) and tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Mounjaro® and Zepbound®) created in a current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) laboratory that is regulated by the FDA and certified by the Center for Professional Innovation & Education (CfPIE). These peptides have been, essentially, freeze-dried, and the lyophilization process ensures preservation of quality, potency, and purity.

In clinical trials, semaglutide users lost an average of 14.9% body weight over 68 weeks versus just 2.4% with placebo. Tirzepatide showed even stronger results, with participants losing up to 20.9% of their body weight by week 72, depending on dosage.

Using medical weight loss therapies under medical guidance is essential, not just for dosing accuracy but also for monitoring health, managing side effects, and tailoring treatment over time. My patients report not only weight reductions but also improved appetite control, reduced cravings, and increased mindfulness around food. When injectable GLP-1 therapies are paired with oversight from a physician, men and women are more accountable for their progress. I also provide guidance on lifestyle planning to help ensure sustainable results.

Our office also provides hormone replacement therapy and aesthetics to assist in your health, wellness, and appearance goals as you lose weight.

Choosing FDA‑regulated lyophilized medical weight loss under a physician’s care is safer, more effective, and brings peace of mind. If you're considering injectable weight loss, I am Western New York’s expert guide and will be with you every step of the way.