Weight-loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) showed stronger results than competitor drug Saxenda (liraglutide) — although both drugs showed a significant weight-loss benefit — in a new study published in the journal JAMA.
Both Wegovy and Saxenda are GLP-1 receptor agonists, a category of drugs originally developed as treatments for type 2 diabetes. In fact, the active ingredient in each drug is the same as in the type 2 diabetes drugs Ozempic (semaglutide) or Victoza (liraglutide) — only the formulation and dosage have been changed. Studies originally showed that these drugs, in dosages used for type 2 diabetes, led to weight loss in people who took them. That led to new clinical trials involving larger doses aimed specifically at weight loss — and ultimately the approval and marketing of the new drugs for weight loss. Wegovy was approved in the United States in 2021, following a clinical trial showing that it led to unprecedented weight loss in people who took it — an average of about 15% of participants’ body weight, with over 80% of participants losing at least 5% of their body weight. Previous studies have shown that for people with obesity — including those with type 2 diabetes — losing just 5% to 10% of body weight can have real health benefits, including improved insulin sensitivity and improvement in diabetic peripheral neuropathy symptoms.
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For the latest study, researchers randomly assigned 338 participants with obesity to take either Wegovy (weekly injection of 2.4 milligrams), Saxenda (daily injection of 3 milligrams), or a placebo (inactive injection, either daily or weekly) for 68 weeks. None of the participants had diabetes. As part of the study, all participants received counseling on diet and physical activity. The average age of participants was 49, and 78% were women. Participants started out with an average body-mass index of 37.5 — well into the category of obesity — and had an average body weight of 104.5 kilograms (230.4 pounds).
At the end of the study period, 271 participants had completed their assigned treatment. Those who were assigned to take Wegovy lost an average of 15.8% of their body weight, while those who took Saxenda lost an average of 6.4% of their body weight. Those who took a placebo (daily or weekly) lost an average of 1.9% of their body weight. When it came to losing at least 10% of body weight, Wegovy also came out ahead, with 70.9% of participants reaching this threshold compared with 25.6% of those who took Saxenda. The same was true for losing at least 15% of body weight — 55.6% of those who took Wegovy reached this threshold, compared with 12.0% of those who took Saxenda. When it came to losing at least 20% of body weight, it was 38.5% for Wegovy and 6.0% for Saxenda.
What’s more, participants who took Wegovy had a lower rate of discontinuing the treatment — 13.5%, compared with 27.6% for Saxenda. It’s unclear exactly why this was the case, since both groups saw a similar rate of one of the most commonly reported side effects of both treatments, gastrointestinal upset — 84.1% for Wegovy compared with 82.7% for Saxenda.
This study confirms that Wegovy shows a greater weight-loss benefit than any other drug approved for this indication. Predictably, this success in studies has led to enormous demand for the drug, and the company behind Wegovy, Novo Nordisk, announced last month that it doesn’t expect to meet demand in the United States during the first half of 2022 — with existing patients getting priority access to Wegovy, meaning that few new patients will be able to start the drug during that period.
Want to learn more about weight management? Read “Tried and True Weight-Loss Techniques,” “Losing Weight Without Feeling Hungry: Eight Tips,” and “Seven Ways to Lose Weight.”
