Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) unveiled new clinical data on Tuesday showing that a higher 7.2 mg dose of Wegovy delivered substantial weight loss in people with obesity, regardless of how rapidly patients initially responded to treatment.
The findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul.
STEP UP Trial Shows Greater Weight Loss With Higher Dose
The company’s STEP UP trial evaluated semaglutide at a 7.2 mg dose versus the standard 2.4 mg dose and placebo over a 72-week period in more than 1,400 adults living with obesity who did not have type 2 diabetes.
Participants receiving the 7.2 mg dose lost an average of 21% of their total body weight during the study.
For the average participant, who weighed 113 kilograms before treatment, this equated to approximately 23 kilograms of weight loss.
Patients taking the 2.4 mg dose experienced average weight loss of around 17.5% over the same period, while those receiving placebo lost 2.4%.
Early Responders Achieved Even Greater Weight Reduction
Researchers classified early responders as participants who lost at least 15% of their body weight within the first 24 weeks of treatment.
Among patients receiving the 7.2 mg dose, approximately 27% met the criteria for an early response, compared with 21% of patients taking the 2.4 mg dose and 3% in the placebo group.
The early responder subgroup treated with the 7.2 mg dose achieved average weight loss of 27.7% by week 72.
Data Suggests Majority of Weight Loss Came From Fat Reduction
A separate body composition analysis involving 55 participants indicated that roughly 84% of weight lost during semaglutide treatment came from reductions in fat mass.
The study also found that abdominal visceral fat declined by more than 30% among participants receiving semaglutide.
Muscle mass decreased by approximately 10% compared with baseline levels, although researchers said muscle health improved based on lower levels of fat infiltration within muscle tissue.
Functional Muscle Strength Was Preserved During Treatment
Novo Nordisk said participants maintained functional muscle strength throughout the weight-loss process.
Researchers evaluated muscle function using a 30-second sit-to-stand test, which showed similar functional muscle strength before and after treatment in both the semaglutide and placebo groups.