Hormonal
Once-weekly subcutaneous 2.4 mg semaglutide induces clinically meaningful, sustained double-digit weight loss (average ~15-16%) in adults with obesity or overweight, significantly outperforming previous pharmacotherapies and approaching results of metabolic surgery.
For adults with obesity or overweight plus a comorbidity, once-weekly 2.4 mg semaglutide is a highly effective treatment that produces an average 15-16% weight loss, which is significantly better than previous drugs and lifestyle changes alone. It requires a weekly injection, titrated up over 4 months to minimize side effects, alongside a modest calorie deficit and exercise. While GI side effects are common, they are usually manageable.
The results from the phase III STEP (Semaglutide treatment effect in people with obesity) clinical programme have shown that semaglutide provides clinically meaningful and sustained weight loss in ranges much higher than those achieved with previously available pharmacotheries... Those who received subcutaneous once-weekly 2.4 mg semaglutide had an average weight loss of up to 16%, which comes close – although not yet at the same level – to the performance of metabolic surgery.
Why this rating
Based on large-scale, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trials (STEP programme) with >4,500 participants.
Source
Once-weekly 2.4 mg Semaglutide for Weight Management in Obesity: A Game Changer?
Ides M. Colin et al. · touchREVIEWS in Endocrinology · 2022
DOI 10.17925/ee.2022.18.1.35
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
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