Semaglutide and weight loss: A once-weekly 7.2 mg dose of semaglutide produced significantly greater weight loss than the currently approved 2.4 mg dose in two large phase 3 trials, according to research published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
The international team, spanning Canada, the United States, Denmark, Norway and Portugal, reported that the higher dose was generally safe and well tolerated and could expand options for adults with obesity, including those with type 2 diabetes (T2D), who have not met weight-loss goals with existing therapies.
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Among adults with obesity but without diabetes, participants assigned to 7.2 mg lost an average of nearly 19% of body weight over the treatment period, compared with about 16% on 2.4 mg and roughly 4% on placebo.
Nearly one in two people on the higher dose shed 20% or more, and about a third lost at least 25%. In a companion trial involving adults with obesity and T2D, average weight loss reached about 13% with 7.2 mg versus 10% with 2.4 mg and 3.9% with placebo.
Investigators also documented improvements in waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose control and lipid measures, key risk factors that track with obesity-related complications.
Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea and diarrhoea, were the most common side effects, and some participants reported transient tingling sensations. The higher dose was not associated with more serious adverse events or an increase in severe hypoglycaemia.
The authors emphasised that the 7.2 mg regimen delivered additional weight reduction beyond 2.4 mg; longer-term follow-up is needed to define durability, safety, and real-world tolerability. Regulatory clearance for the higher dose has not yet been granted.
