High-Dose Semaglutide Linked to Increased Weight Loss: Daily Dose

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Patient Care brings primary care clinicians a lot of medical news every day—it’s easy to miss an important study. The Daily Dose provides a concise summary of one of the website's leading stories you may not have seen.

On January 17, 2025, we reported on topline results from the STEP-UP phase 3b clinical trial examining the safety and efficacy of subcutaneous semaglutide 7.2 mg compared to semaglutide 2.4 mg and placebo, all administered once weekly, in adults with obesity.

The study

Researchers enrolled 1407 adults with a baseline body weight of 113 kg (approximately 249 lbs) and a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² or greater and without diabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to once-weekly semaglutide 7.2 mg, once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg or placebo along with lifestyle intervention for 72 weeks. The trial’s primary outcome was superiority in weight loss with semaglutide 7.2 mg vs placebo.

The findings

In the trial product estimand, adults receiving semaglutide 7.2 mg had a 20.7% weight loss at 72 weeks compared with a 17.5% weight reduction with semaglutide 2.4 mg and a 2.4% weight loss with placebo. A weight loss of 25% or more was achieved by 33.2% of the semaglutide 7.2 mg group compared with 16.7% of those receiving semaglutide 2.4 mg.

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