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# Novartis’ Semaglutide has ‘Gamechanger’ Obesity Results
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/novartis-semaglutide-has-gamechanger-obesity-results/
- Published: 2021-02-11T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T16:46:25.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5148647

A [new study](https://www.eurekalert.org/pub%5Freleases/2021-02/ucl-df021021.php?ref=fdaweb.com) (STEP) finds that 35% of those taking Novartis’ semaglutide for treating obesity lost more than one-fifth of their total body weight, according to University College London researchers. “Three quarters (75%) of people who received semaglutide 2.4mg lost more than 10% of their body weight and more than one-third lost more than 20%,” one researcher says. “No other drug has come close to producing this level of weight loss — this really is a gamechanger. For the first time, people can achieve through drugs what was only possible through weight-loss surgery.”

Semaglutide is currently approved for patients with Type 2 diabetes. ׅThe drug possesses a compound structurally similar to (and mimics) the human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone, which is released into the blood from the gut after meals,” the researchers say. “GLP-1 induces weight loss by reducing hunger, increasing feelings of fullness and thereby helping people eat less and reduce their calorie intake.”