The STEP UP trials revealed that a 7.2 mg dose of semaglutide led to greater weight loss than the currently approved 2.4 mg dose. Nearly half of participants lost 20% or more of their body weight, while also improving metabolic health. Side effects were mostly mild and temporary. Researchers say this could reshape obesity treatment if confirmed in longer-term studies.
FULL STORY
A higher semaglutide dose could revolutionize obesity treatment with bigger weight loss and lasting health benefits. Credit: Shutterstock
A higher weekly dose of semaglutide (7.2 mg) can significantly improve weight loss and related health outcomes in adults living with obesity, including those with type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to the results of two large-scale, international phase 3 clinical trials. The findings, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, suggest that a higher dose of semaglutide offers a promising new option for people with obesity, including those with T2D, who have not achieved sufficient weight loss with existing treatments.
The STEP UP and STEP UP T2D clinical trials are the first to investigate whether increasing the dose of semaglutide from the currently approved dose of 2·4 mg to 7·2 mg is safe and leads to additional weight reduction. Trial participants were randomized to receive either the higher 7·2 mg dose of semaglutide, the currently approved 2.4 mg dose, or placebo over 72 weeks. All participants -- regardless of treatment group -- received lifestyle interventions such as dietary counseling and increased physical activity recommendations.
In adults without diabetes, a 7·2 mg dose of semaglutide led to an average weight loss of nearly 19%, surpassing the 16% loss seen with 2·4 mg and 4% with placebo. Nearly half of the participants on the higher dose lost 20% or more of their body weight, with about one-third losing at least 25%. Participants also experienced improvements in waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, all key factors in reducing obesity-related health risks. Similarly, in adults with obesity and T2D, the 7·2 mg dose resulted in an average 13% weight loss compared to 10% with 2.4 mg and 3.9% with placebo, along with significant reductions in blood sugar levels and waist size.
Both trials reported that the higher dose of semaglutide was safe and generally well tolerated. Gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and diarrhea, and some sensory symptoms like tingling, were the most common. However, most side effects were manageable, resolved over time, and did not lead to participants dropping out of the trial. No increase in serious adverse events or severe hypoglycemia was observed with the higher dose.
By delivering greater weight reduction and metabolic benefits while maintaining a favorable safety profile, the authors say this higher dose could help more people reach their health goals and reduce the burden of obesity-related complications worldwide. However, they highlight that further research is needed to fully understand the long-term benefits and risks.
Story Source:
Materials provided by The Lancet. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Sean Wharton, Paula Freitas, Jøran Hjelmesæth, Maria Kabisch, Kristian Kandler, Ildiko Lingvay, Maria Quiroga, Julio Rosenstock, W Timothy Garvey. Once-weekly semaglutide 7·2 mg in adults with obesity (STEP UP): a randomised, controlled, phase 3b trial. The Lancet Diabetes, 2025; DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(25)00226-8[1]
Cite This Page:
The Lancet. "This new semaglutide dose helped nearly half of patients lose 20% body weight." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 October 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251004092913.htm>.
The Lancet. (2025, October 4). This new semaglutide dose helped nearly half of patients lose 20% body weight. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 4, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251004092913.htm
The Lancet. "This new semaglutide dose helped nearly half of patients lose 20% body weight." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251004092913.htm (accessed October 4, 2025).
July 15, 2025 Semaglutide, a popular anti-obesity drug, may come with a hidden cost: significant muscle loss, especially in women and older adults. A small study found that up to 40% of weight loss from ...
July 13, 2025 Postmenopausal women struggling with weight loss may find a powerful solution by combining the diabetes drug tirzepatide with menopause hormone therapy. A Mayo Clinic study revealed that this dual ...
May 27, 2025 Scientists at the University of Gothenburg have pinpointed a group of nerve cells in the brain stem that appear to be responsible for semaglutide’s appetite- and weight-controlling powers—without ...
Apr. 30, 2025 A groundbreaking international trial has found that semaglutide, a drug best known for treating diabetes and obesity, can also reverse a dangerous liver disease called MASH in nearly two-thirds of ...
Nov. 13, 2023 Semaglutide reduced cardiovascular events by 20% in adults with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease who do not have diabetes, according to new research. Semaglutide is ...
Sep. 13, 2021 A perspective article challenges the 'energy balance model,' which says weight gain occurs because individuals consume more energy than they expend. According to the authors, ...
The STEP UP trials revealed that a 7.2 mg dose of semaglutide led to greater weight loss than the currently approved 2.4 mg dose. Nearly half of participants lost 20% or more of their body weight, while also improving metabolic health. Side effects were mostly mild and temporary. Researchers say this could reshape obesity treatment if confirmed in longer-term studies.
FULL STORY
A higher semaglutide dose could revolutionize obesity treatment with bigger weight loss and lasting health benefits. Credit: Shutterstock
A higher weekly dose of semaglutide (7.2 mg) can significantly improve weight loss and related health outcomes in adults living with obesity, including those with type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to the results of two large-scale, international phase 3 clinical trials. The findings, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal, suggest that a higher dose of semaglutide offers a promising new option for people with obesity, including those with T2D, who have not achieved sufficient weight loss with existing treatments.
The STEP UP and STEP UP T2D clinical trials are the first to investigate whether increasing the dose of semaglutide from the currently approved dose of 2·4 mg to 7·2 mg is safe and leads to additional weight reduction. Trial participants were randomized to receive either the higher 7·2 mg dose of semaglutide, the currently approved 2.4 mg dose, or placebo over 72 weeks. All participants -- regardless of treatment group -- received lifestyle interventions such as dietary counseling and increased physical activity recommendations.
In adults without diabetes, a 7·2 mg dose of semaglutide led to an average weight loss of nearly 19%, surpassing the 16% loss seen with 2·4 mg and 4% with placebo. Nearly half of the participants on the higher dose lost 20% or more of their body weight, with about one-third losing at least 25%. Participants also experienced improvements in waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, all key factors in reducing obesity-related health risks. Similarly, in adults with obesity and T2D, the 7·2 mg dose resulted in an average 13% weight loss compared to 10% with 2.4 mg and 3.9% with placebo, along with significant reductions in blood sugar levels and waist size.
Both trials reported that the higher dose of semaglutide was safe and generally well tolerated. Gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and diarrhea, and some sensory symptoms like tingling, were the most common. However, most side effects were manageable, resolved over time, and did not lead to participants dropping out of the trial. No increase in serious adverse events or severe hypoglycemia was observed with the higher dose.
By delivering greater weight reduction and metabolic benefits while maintaining a favorable safety profile, the authors say this higher dose could help more people reach their health goals and reduce the burden of obesity-related complications worldwide. However, they highlight that further research is needed to fully understand the long-term benefits and risks.
Story Source:
Materials provided by The Lancet. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Sean Wharton, Paula Freitas, Jøran Hjelmesæth, Maria Kabisch, Kristian Kandler, Ildiko Lingvay, Maria Quiroga, Julio Rosenstock, W Timothy Garvey. Once-weekly semaglutide 7·2 mg in adults with obesity (STEP UP): a randomised, controlled, phase 3b trial. The Lancet Diabetes, 2025; DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(25)00226-8[1]
Cite This Page:
The Lancet. "This new semaglutide dose helped nearly half of patients lose 20% body weight." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 October 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251004092913.htm>.
The Lancet. (2025, October 4). This new semaglutide dose helped nearly half of patients lose 20% body weight. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 4, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251004092913.htm
The Lancet. "This new semaglutide dose helped nearly half of patients lose 20% body weight." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251004092913.htm (accessed October 4, 2025).
July 15, 2025 Semaglutide, a popular anti-obesity drug, may come with a hidden cost: significant muscle loss, especially in women and older adults. A small study found that up to 40% of weight loss from ...
July 13, 2025 Postmenopausal women struggling with weight loss may find a powerful solution by combining the diabetes drug tirzepatide with menopause hormone therapy. A Mayo Clinic study revealed that this dual ...
May 27, 2025 Scientists at the University of Gothenburg have pinpointed a group of nerve cells in the brain stem that appear to be responsible for semaglutide’s appetite- and weight-controlling powers—without ...
Apr. 30, 2025 A groundbreaking international trial has found that semaglutide, a drug best known for treating diabetes and obesity, can also reverse a dangerous liver disease called MASH in nearly two-thirds of ...
Nov. 13, 2023 Semaglutide reduced cardiovascular events by 20% in adults with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease who do not have diabetes, according to new research. Semaglutide is ...
Sep. 13, 2021 A perspective article challenges the 'energy balance model,' which says weight gain occurs because individuals consume more energy than they expend. According to the authors, ...
