A big, long-term trial of the weight-loss medicine Wegovy (semaglutide) discovered that folks tended to shed some pounds over the primary 65 weeks at the drug—about three hundred and sixty five days and 3 months—however then hit a plateau or “set level.” However that early weight reduction used to be usually maintained for as much as 4 years whilst other folks persevered taking the weekly injections.
The findings, printed Monday in Nature Drugs, come from a recent research of knowledge from the SELECT trial, which used to be designed to have a look at the drug’s results on cardiovascular well being. The trial—a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial—in particular enrolled other folks with present heart problems who additionally had been obese or overweight however didn’t have diabetes. In all, the trial incorporated 17,604 other folks from 41 nations. Seventy-two p.c of them had been male, 84 p.c had been white, and the typical age used to be about 62 years outdated.
Closing 12 months, researchers printed the trial’s number one effects, which confirmed that semaglutide decreased members’ chance of middle assault, stroke, and cardiovascular-related deaths via 20 p.c over the span of a bit of over 3 years.
Within the new research with but longer follow-up of the similar members, researchers all for their weight-loss trajectories and endpoints. Other people taking semaglutide noticed their weight decline continuously over the primary 65 weeks of remedy, then plateau. Then again, the preliminary weight reduction used to be sustained via 208 weeks (4 years) of follow-up. On moderate, other folks taking the drug misplaced 10.2 p.c in their weight, whilst the placebo staff misplaced simply 1.5 p.c. That quantities to an 8.7 p.c remedy distinction.
That weight reduction is not up to what has been observed in different trials of semaglutide. In 2021, researchers printed a learn about in The New England Magazine of Drugs appearing other folks at the drug misplaced 14.9 p.c in their weight, whilst the ones on a placebo misplaced 2.4 p.c—a remedy distinction of 12.5 p.c.
Researchers in the back of the SELECT trial, which used to be funded via Wegovy’s maker, Novo Nordisk, speculate that the rigors’ other designs might provide an explanation for the adaptation in weight reduction. The sooner trial used to be designed to review weight reduction in individuals who had been in particular looking to shed some pounds and who additionally tended to be more youthful than the ones within the SELECT trial. Along with semaglutide remedy, the older trial incorporated different way of life interventions to assist in weight reduction. The SELECT trial members, alternatively, weren’t in particular in quest of to shed some pounds and didn’t get any further way of life interventions for weight reduction.
Nonetheless, researchers noticed clinically significant weight reduction throughout each sexes and all frame sizes and geographic areas. Of the individuals who gained semaglutide, 52.4 p.c moved right into a decrease class of frame mass index all over the trial, when put next with simply 15.7 p.c of the placebo staff. And within the semaglutide staff, the share of other folks with weight problems fell from 71 p.c to 43.3 p.c, whilst the placebo staff noticed the share best drop from 71.9 p.c to 67.9 p.c.
The learn about has barriers, maximum particularly that it most commonly enrolled older white men. Thus, the weight-loss findings might not be generalizable. Then again, the authors conclude that the learn about helps vast use of semaglutide in other folks with heart problems who are also obese or have weight problems. The looming query researchers subsequent have to stand is solely how lengthy other folks will want to keep at the efficient however lately expensive drug.
This tale at first gave the impression on Ars Technica.
