Medicosnext
A research to be presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Stockholm from September 19-23, 2022, states that weekly injections of semaglutide (a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist) more than halved the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and induced weight loss of 17%, on average, in overweight/obese participants of two trials, STEP 1 and STEP 4.
In the first trial, the researchers gave subcutaneous injections of 2.4 mg semaglutide or a placebo weekly for 68 weeks to 1,961 overweight/obese participants (who did not have diabetes). In the second, 803 overweight/obese participants (who did not have diabetes) received weekly injections of 2.4 mg semaglutide for 20 weeks, who then either remained on semaglutide, or were switched to placebo for the next 48 weeks.
In STEP 1, the 10-year cardiometabolic risk scores for type 2 diabetes was seen to have decreased by 61% at week 68. Weight loss of -14.9%, on average, was seen in those on semaglutide, compared to -2.4% in those on placebo. The STEP 1 trial concluded that “In participants with overweight or obesity, 2.4 mg of semaglutide once weekly plus lifestyle intervention was associated with sustained, clinically relevant reduction in body weight.”
In STEP 4, while there was a mean weight loss of 10.6% in the 20-week run-in period, a further mean weight loss of -7.9% was seen from week 20 to week 68 in those continuing with the drug, as against +6.9% in those switching to placebo. The trial concluded that “Among adults with overweight or obesity who completed a 20-week run-in period with subcutaneous semaglutide, 2.4 mg once weekly, maintaining treatment with semaglutide compared with switching to placebo resulted in continued weight loss over the following 48 weeks.” The drug was approved by the US FDA as an obesity treatment on June 4, 2021.
