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- Up to one in three participants on semaglutide 7.2 mg achieved at least 25% weight loss over 72 weeks
- Mean weight loss with semaglutide 7.2 mg reached 21%, reflecting overall treatment efficacy
- Up to 84% of weight loss was driven by reductions in fat mass, supporting meaningful improvements in body composition
SINGAPORE, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Novo Nordisk announced an update to the Singapore label for semaglutide, approved in Singapore as Wegovy® (semaglutide) injection, incorporating clinical evidence from the STEP UP trial in adults living with obesity without diabetes. In the trial, which evaluated a higher dose of semaglutide (7.2 mg), up to one in three participants receiving the higher dose achieved at least 25% weight loss over 72 weeks, while mean weight loss reached 21%. These findings highlight both the magnitude of weight loss and the importance of how weight is reduced, including meaningful improvements in body composition, offering healthcare professionals another option to support patients in their clinical care.
Novo Nordisk
Additional analyses from the STEP UP trial showed that reduction in fat mass constitute up to 84% of weight loss, highlighting improvements in body composition. The trial also demonstrated patients’ reduction in sudden, impulsive loss of control when seeing or thinking about food. This supports other real-world data about people taking semaglutide for weight management experiencing a substantial drop in food noise (unwanted and intrusive thoughts about food).
Obesity is a chronic disease requiring long-term, individualised management. Effective treatment often involves a combination of medical intervention, lifestyle support and continuous follow-up under healthcare professional supervision, with approaches tailored over time to support individual patient needs.
Stephanie Ambrose, Head of Medical and Regulatory Affairs, Novo Nordisk Singapore, shared: “In obesity management, the conversation is shifting from simply how much weight is lost to how that weight is lost. Increasingly, evidence shows that meaningful health outcomes are driven by reductions in fat mass, alongside improvements in appetite control and eating behaviours. This reinforces the importance for healthcare professionals to focus not just on weight reduction alone, but on the quality of weight loss when tailoring long-term treatment approaches.”
Wegovy® is indicated in Singapore for weight management in adults with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 or ≥ 27 kg/m2 with a weight-related comorbidity, along with diet and exercise.
About the STEP UP trial
The STEP UP and STEP UP T2D phase 3 trials investigated the efficacy and safety of injectable semaglutide 7.2 mg in people with obesity without or with type 2 diabetes.
The 72-week STEP UP trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of injectable semaglutide 7.2 mg compared to semaglutide 2.4 mg and placebo as an adjunct to lifestyle intervention. The trial included approximately 1,400 adults with obesity. The 72-week STEP UP T2D trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of injectable semaglutide 7.2 mg compared to placebo in approximately 500 adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
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Mean weight loss at 72 weeks with semaglutide 7.2 mg in STEP UP trials |
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STEP UP |
STEP UP T2D |
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Efficacy estimand* |
20.7 % |
14.1 % |
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Treatment-regimen estimand** |
18.7 % |
13.2 % |
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Categorical weight loss*** |
31.2% of patients achieved ≥25% weight loss |
21.3% of patients achieved ≥20% weight loss |
* Treatment effect if all people adhered to treatment,
** Treatment effect regardless of treatment adherence,
*** Observed proportions based on in-trial period.
About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases built upon our heritage in diabetes. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 67,900 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. In Singapore, Novo Nordisk has been present since 1997 and has approximately 100 employees.
For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
