What GLP-1 Clinical Trials Actually Showed | Weight Loss, CV Outcomes, Completion Rates
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What GLP-1 Clinical Trials Actually Showed

Every major trial's results in one place — weight loss by estimand, responder rates, cardiovascular outcomes from SELECT, completion rates, and trial exclusion criteria.

Last updated: May 4, 2026

GLP-1 trials report weight loss in two ways. The on-treatment estimand, also called the efficacy estimand, estimates the effect if all participants had taken the drug as intended.The intention-to-treat (ITT) estimand includes all randomized participants, whether or not they stayed on the drug through the end of trial. Most published trial reports provide both, but vendor and press materials typically cite the on-treatment figure, which runs 0.7–3.0 percentage points higher. This page shows both estimands side by side for every major trial, along with the context needed to interpret them.

Every major trial, side by side

Click any column header to sort. Use the drug filter to narrow results. Weight-loss figures are mean change from baseline. Both on-treatment and ITT estimands are shown where published.

Top-line
Obesity trials: −10% to −25% weight loss (ITT)
Patients with type 2 diabetes see about 30% less weight loss on the same drugs.
Reference trialsWeight loss (ITT)
STEP 1semaglutide 2.4 mg, obesity, 68 wk−14.9%
SURMOUNT-1tirzepatide 15 mg, obesity, 72 wk−20.9%
SELECTsemaglutide 2.4 mg, obesity + CVD, 208 wk−10.2%
SURMOUNT-5tirzepatide vs. semaglutide head-to-head, 72 wk−20.2% vs. −13.7%

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Trial Drug & dose N Population Duration Wt loss, on-tx Wt loss, ITT
STEP 1NEJM, 2021Approved as WegovySemaglutide 2.4 mgInjection, weekly1,961Obesity, no T2D68 wk−16.9%−14.9%
STEP 2Lancet, 2021Approved as WegovySemaglutide 2.4 mgInjection, weekly1,210Overweight/obesity + T2D68 wk−10.6%−9.6%
STEP 3JAMA, 2021Approved as WegovySemaglutide 2.4 mgInjection, weekly + IBT611Obesity, intensive behavioral tx68 wk−17.6%−16.0%
STEP 4JAMA, 2021Approved as WegovySemaglutide 2.4 mgInjection, weekly (withdrawal design)803Obesity, no T2D68 wk−18.2%−17.4%
STEP 5Nat Med, 2022Approved as WegovySemaglutide 2.4 mgInjection, weekly304Obesity, no T2D104 wk−16.7%−15.2%
STEP-HFpEFNEJM, 2023Approved as WegovySemaglutide 2.4 mgInjection, weekly529Obesity + HFpEF, no T2D52 wk−13.3%
STEP-HFpEF DMNEJM, 2024Approved as WegovySemaglutide 2.4 mgInjection, weekly616Obesity + HFpEF + T2D52 wk−9.8%
SELECTNEJM, 2023Approved as WegovySemaglutide 2.4 mgInjection, weekly17,604Overweight/obesity + CVD, no T2D208 wk−11.7%−10.2%
SURMOUNT-1 (15 mg)NEJM, 2022Approved as ZepboundTirzepatide 15 mgInjection, weekly2,539Obesity, no T2D72 wk−22.5%−20.9%
SURMOUNT-1 (10 mg)NEJM, 2022Approved as ZepboundTirzepatide 10 mgInjection, weekly2,539Obesity, no T2D72 wk−21.4%−19.5%
SURMOUNT-1 (5 mg)NEJM, 2022Approved as ZepboundTirzepatide 5 mgInjection, weekly2,539Obesity, no T2D72 wk−16.0%−15.0%
SURMOUNT-2 (15 mg)Lancet, 2023Approved as ZepboundTirzepatide 15 mgInjection, weekly938Overweight/obesity + T2D72 wk−15.7%−14.7%
SURMOUNT-3Nat Med, 2023Approved as ZepboundTirzepatide 10/15 mgInjection, weekly (MTD)579Obesity, post-lifestyle lead-in84 wk total−21.1%−18.4%
SURMOUNT-4JAMA, 2024Approved as ZepboundTirzepatide 10/15 mgInjection, weekly (withdrawal design)670Obesity, no T2D88 wk total~−26%−25.3%
SURMOUNT-5NEJM, 2025Head-to-headTirzepatide MTD vs. semaglutide MTD10/15 mg vs. 1.7/2.4 mg (open-label)751Obesity, no T2D, ≥1 comorbidity72 wk−20.2% vs. −13.7%
OASIS 1Lancet, 2023InvestigationalSemaglutide 50 mgOral, daily667Obesity, no T2D68 wk−17.4%−15.1%
OASIS 4NEJM, 2025Approved as Wegovy (oral)Semaglutide 25 mgOral, daily307Obesity, no T2D64 wk−16.6%−13.6%
ATTAIN-1NEJM, 2025Approved as FoundayoOrforglipron 36 mgOral, daily3,127Obesity, no T2D72 wk−12.4%−11.1%
ATTAIN-2Lancet, 2025Approved as FoundayoOrforglipron 36 mgOral, daily1,613Overweight/obesity + T2D72 wk−10.5%−9.6%
REDEFINE 1NEJM, 2025InvestigationalCagriSema 2.4/2.4 mgInjection, weekly3,417Obesity, no T2D68 wk−22.7%−20.4%
REDEFINE 2NEJM, 2025InvestigationalCagriSema 2.4/2.4 mgInjection, weekly1,206Overweight/obesity + T2D68 wk−13.7%
RetatrutideNEJM, 2023 (Ph2)InvestigationalRetatrutide 12 mgInjection, weekly338Obesity, no T2D48 wk−24.2%
SurvodutideLancet D&E, 2024 (Ph2)InvestigationalSurvodutide 4.8 mgInjection, weekly386Obesity46 wk−18.7%
MaritideNEJM, 2025 (Ph2)InvestigationalMaritide 420 mgInjection, monthly592Obesity52 wk~−20%−16.2%

Estimand definitions. On-tx = on-treatment / efficacy estimand (effect if treatment taken as intended). ITT = treatment-policy / intention-to-treat estimand (effect across all randomized participants, regardless of discontinuation). Full retention data for each trial appears in the retention section.

A. Approximated on-treatment values. STEP 2, STEP 3, and STEP 5 report the ITT estimand in the primary publication; the on-treatment values shown here are calculated from supplementary tables or press materials using the ITT figure plus the published ITT/on-treatment gap from STEP 1 and STEP 4 as a reference.

B. SELECT duration. The −11.7% / −10.2% weight-loss figures are from week 208 (Ryan et al., Nat Med 2024). The 39.8-month mean follow-up cited in the primary SELECT publication refers to the MACE composite endpoint, not the weight-loss measurement timepoint.

C. Retatrutide and Phase 2 reporting. Retatrutide and survodutide Phase 2 trials report the on-treatment (completers / efficacy) estimand only; no ITT analysis was published. Maritide Phase 2 reports both. Retatrutide Phase 3 topline results from TRIUMPH-4 (obesity + knee OA, Dec 2025) reported −28.7% weight loss on-treatment and -23.7% ITT at 12 mg (Lilly); peer-reviewed publication pending.

G. SURMOUNT-5 design. The only published head-to-head obesity RCT between two GLP-1 agents. Open-label; no placebo arm. Both arms titrated to maximum tolerated dose: tirzepatide 10 or 15 mg; semaglutide 1.7 or 2.4 mg. The −20.2% figure is the treatment-regimen (ITT) estimand; the on-tx / efficacy estimand was not separately reported as the primary endpoint. Comparator arm (semaglutide MTD) achieved −13.7% (95% CI −14.9 to −12.6), P<0.001. Secondary endpoints: 31.6% of tirzepatide participants vs. 16.1% of semaglutide participants reached ≥25% weight loss. Waist circumference: −18.4 cm vs. −13.0 cm.

Responder rates at clinical thresholds

Percentage of participants achieving each weight-loss threshold, reported using the ITT / treatment-policy estimand where available.

Top-line
Most patients lose at least 5%. At higher thresholds, the range widens.
Whereas average weight loss summarizes the center, the distribution of responders is also relevant for population modeling.
Reference trials% with ≥20% loss (ITT)
SURMOUNT-1 (15 mg)tirzepatide 15 mg, obesity, 72 wk57.0%
OASIS 1semaglutide 50 mg oral, obesity, 68 wk34.0%
STEP 1semaglutide 2.4 mg, obesity, 68 wk32.0%

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Trial Drug ≥5% ≥10% ≥15% ≥20% ≥25%
STEP 1Semaglutide 2.4 mg86.4%69.1%50.5%32.0%
STEP 2 (T2D)Semaglutide 2.4 mg68.8%~45.6%~25.8%
STEP 3 (IBT)Semaglutide 2.4 mg86.6%75.3%55.8%~36%
STEP 5 (104 wk)Semaglutide 2.4 mg77.1%61.8%52.1%36.1%
SURMOUNT-1 (15 mg)Tirzepatide 15 mg91%84%~73%57%36.2%
SURMOUNT-1 (10 mg)Tirzepatide 10 mg89%78%~65%50%32.3%
SURMOUNT-1 (5 mg)Tirzepatide 5 mg85%69%~55%30%15.3%
OASIS 1Semaglutide 50 mg (oral)85%69%54%34%
ATTAIN-1 (ITT)Orforglipron 36 mg~70%54.6%36.0%18.4%
ATTAIN-2 (ITT, T2D)Orforglipron 36 mg~60%45.6%26.0%
REDEFINE 1 (ITT)CagriSema91.9%~80%~65%~50%34.7%

Trial means obscure individual response distribution. Across the STEP program, 10–17% of semaglutide-treated participants lost less than 5% body weight; 32–40% achieved ≥20%. Presence of T2D consistently attenuated response: STEP 2 (T2D) showed roughly 35% less weight loss than STEP 1 (no T2D); SURMOUNT-2 vs. SURMOUNT-1 showed a similar pattern.

Real-world weight loss in commercial populations runs lower than trial ITT figures, driven primarily by shorter time on drug and lower mean dose reached. See page 3 (persistence) and page 4 (weight regain).

SELECT — cardiovascular outcomes trial

SELECT (N=17,604; mean follow-up 39.8 months) is the pivotal cardiovascular outcomes trial for a GLP-1 in a population without diabetes. Semaglutide 2.4 mg reduced 3-point MACE — the standard cardiovascular composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and nonfatal stroke — by 20% in adults with established cardiovascular disease and overweight/obesity.

20%
MACE reduction (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.72–0.90, P<0.001)
17,604
Participants — established CVD + overweight/obesity, no diabetes
39.8 mo
Mean follow-up for MACE composite
NNT ~67
Number needed to treat over ~3.3 years (1.5 pp absolute risk reduction)

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EndpointSemaglutidePlaceboHR (95% CI)Significance
3-point MACE (primary)6.5%8.0%0.80 (0.72–0.90)P<0.001 ✓
Nonfatal MI2.7%3.7%0.72 (0.61–0.85)Significant
CV death2.5%3.0%0.85 (0.71–1.01)P=0.07 — hierarchy stopped
All-cause death4.3%5.2%0.81 (0.71–0.93)Nominal
HF composite3.4%4.1%0.82 (0.71–0.96)Nominal
New-onset diabetes3.5%12.0%0.27 (0.24–0.31)73% reduction (prespecified)

A. "Nominal" vs. confirmed significance. SELECT prespecified a hierarchical testing order for confirmatory secondary endpoints: CV death → HF composite → all-cause death. CV death came in at P=0.07, not crossing the 0.023 threshold required after interim-analysis adjustment. When hierarchical testing stops at a prior step, subsequent endpoints cannot formally claim superiority even when their point estimates and confidence intervals favor the drug — they are called nominal rather than confirmed. All-cause death (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.71–0.93) and HF composite (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.71–0.96) fall into this category: directionally positive, but not formally confirmed per the prespecified statistical plan.

Mechanism. A 2025 Lancet mediation analysis (Deanfield et al.) found that waist-circumference reduction mediated approximately 33% of the MACE benefit, suggesting most of the cardiovascular benefit operates through pathways other than weight loss. hsCRP declined by week 4, before significant weight loss occurred. Over the full trial period, hsCRP decreased ~38–39% versus placebo.

Heart failure subgroup. Among participants with baseline heart failure (N=4,286), MACE HR was 0.72 (0.60–0.87), with consistent benefit across HFpEF (HR 0.69) and HFrEF (HR 0.65) subtypes (Deanfield et al., Lancet 2024).

Long-term weight loss in SELECT. Mean weight change at week 208 was −10.2% (ITT) / −11.7% (on-treatment) versus −1.5% placebo (Ryan et al., Nat Med 2024). SELECT did not include structured lifestyle intervention — see the concomitant interventions section below.

Trial retention and real-world persistence

Trials report two retention measures: study completion (percentage who completed the assessment period, whether or not they were still on drug) and on-drug at end (percentage still taking study drug at final visit). Real-world persistence data from commercial claims measures prescription refill continuity. The table below reports all three so readers can make like-for-like comparisons. GI adverse events were the dominant reason for drug discontinuation across every trial program.

Top-line
Trial on-drug retention: 73–92%. Real-world 1-yr persistence: 32–63%.
Like-for-like comparison — both measure percentage still taking the drug at a defined timepoint.
Reference data points% on drug at endpoint
STEP 1semaglutide 2.4 mg, obesity, 68 wk81.1%
SELECTsemaglutide 2.4 mg, obesity + CVD, 208 wk73.3%
Real-world 1-yrPrime Therapeutics 2024 commercial cohort62.6%

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Trial Trial completion On drug at end AE discontinuation Primary reasons
STEP 194.3%81.1%4.5%GI AEs, consent withdrawal
STEP 296%87%~4–5%GI AEs, rescue therapy
STEP 392.8%82.7%3.4%GI AEs
STEP 498.0%92.3%LowPre-selected tolerators (withdrawal design)
STEP 592.8%~85%5.9–7.7%GI AEs
STEP-HFpEF~87%~87%13.3%GI AEs, cardiac events
STEP-HFpEF DM~82%~82%Higher vs. placeboGI AEs
SELECT96.9%73.3%16.6%GI AEs (10.0% sema vs. 2.0% placebo)
SURMOUNT-186%84–86%4.3–7.1%GI AEs, consent withdrawal
SURMOUNT-2~86–91%~85–91%<5%GI AEs
SURMOUNT-3~85–90%~85%4–10.5%GI AEs
SURMOUNT-485.6%High~5–7%GI AEs
OASIS 1~82%86%~5–7%GI AEs (nausea, vomiting)
OASIS 481.5%~81%7%GI AEs (nausea 47%, vomiting 31%)
ATTAIN-1 (36 mg)~76%~76%10.3%GI AEs
ATTAIN-2 (36 mg)~78–81%~78%10.6%GI AEs
REDEFINE 1~90%~90%~6%GI AEs

Completion = percentage who completed the trial assessment period (may include participants who stopped drug but remained in study). On drug at end = percentage still taking study drug at trial end. AE discontinuation = percentage who stopped drug specifically due to adverse events. GI adverse events (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation) were the dominant discontinuation reason in every program.

A. SELECT retention paradox. SELECT's 96.9% completion rate is often confused with its lower on-drug retention of 73.3%. The difference matters: the primary MACE analysis is ITT and benefits from near-complete event ascertainment, but 26.7% of the semaglutide arm had permanently discontinued drug by trial end. The primary weight-loss and risk-factor analyses from SELECT are materially affected by this drug-discontinuation pattern.

Real-world persistence data — the gap between these trial rates and what employer populations experience — is covered on page 3 of this series.

Adverse events in pivotal trials

Gastrointestinal adverse event rates by drug and dose, reported from pivotal trial publications and FDA prescribing information. GI symptoms are the most common adverse events across every agent in the class and the dominant reason for drug discontinuation. Serious and rare adverse events — gallbladder disease, pancreatitis meta-analyses, thyroid C-cell findings, NAION, long-term malignancy data — are covered on page 6.

Top-line
GI symptoms are the most common adverse events across the class.
Across pivotal obesity trials, 4–10% of participants discontinued due to adverse events — almost entirely gastrointestinal. Nausea peaks during dose escalation (weeks 4–20) and declines thereafter. Rates vary by drug and dose.

All percentages reflect any-grade gastrointestinal events during the trial period. Maintenance-dose subgroups reported where available; otherwise pooled trial rates.

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Drug & dose Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea Constipation AE discontinuation Source
Semaglutide 2.4 mg inj.Obesity (Wegovy)43.9%24.5%29.7%24.2%6.8%STEP 1–3 pooled
Semaglutide 2.4 mg inj.Obesity + CVD (SELECT)~19%~10%~14%~12%16.6%SELECT
Semaglutide 25 mg oralObesity (Wegovy tablet)~35%~20%~19%~18%~8%OASIS 4
Tirzepatide 5 mg inj.Obesity (Zepbound)11.6%5.4%12.9%6.7%4.3%SURMOUNT-1
Tirzepatide 10 mg inj.Obesity (Zepbound)~25%9.5%21.2%~11%7.1%SURMOUNT-1
Tirzepatide 15 mg inj.Obesity (Zepbound)29.6%12.2%23%11.7%6.2%SURMOUNT-1
Tirzepatide MTD vs. semaglutide MTDObesity, head-to-head (SURMOUNT-5)44% vs. 50%16% vs. 25%25% vs. 22%16% vs. 20%6.1% vs. 8.0%SURMOUNT-5
Orforglipron 36 mg oralObesity (Foundayo)~34%~22%~26%~15%10.3%ATTAIN-1
PlaceboPooled across obesity trials~10–16%~3–6%~8–16%~6–11%2.6–3.2%Placebo arms, STEP + SURMOUNT

Dose escalation. GI adverse event rates peak during the 16–20 week dose-titration period and decline thereafter. 98% of GI events in pooled STEP analyses were mild or moderate; 99.5% were non-serious (Wharton et al., Diabetes Obes Metab, 2022; DOI: 10.1111/dom.14551).

A. SELECT discontinuation. SELECT's 16.6% AE discontinuation rate reflects 3.3-year mean exposure in an older (mean age 61.6) ASCVD population — substantially higher than the 68-week obesity trials. 10.0% of SELECT semaglutide participants discontinued specifically for GI AEs, versus 2.0% on placebo.

B. SURMOUNT-5 comparator rates. Open-label head-to-head (tirzepatide MTD 10 or 15 mg vs. semaglutide MTD 1.7 or 2.4 mg) in obesity without T2D, 72 weeks. GI-related discontinuation was 2.7% tirzepatide vs. 5.6% semaglutide. Source: Aronne et al., NEJM, 2025.

C. Suicidality warning removed. FDA requested removal of the suicidal-behavior-and-ideation warning from Wegovy, Saxenda, and Zepbound labels on January 13, 2026, based on a 91-RCT meta-analysis (N=107,910) showing no increased risk. Serious and rare adverse events are covered on page 6.

Concomitant interventions in each trial protocol

What each trial's protocol specified alongside the study drug. Obesity-indication trials typically included structured diet, exercise, and counseling in both treatment and placebo arms. SELECT, a cardiovascular outcomes trial, did not protocolize a lifestyle intervention.

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TrialDiet prescriptionExercise prescriptionCounselingFrequencyTotal sessionsWeight loss (ITT)
STEP 1, 2, 4, 5−500 kcal/day deficit≥150 min/weekIndividual, in-person or phoneEvery 4 weeks~17 sessions−9.6% to −17.4%
STEP 31,000–1,200 kcal/day × 8 wk, then 1,200–1,800100→200 min/wk (progressive)Intensive behavioral therapy>Weekly early on30 sessions−16.0%
SURMOUNT-1, 2, 4−500 kcal/day (~1,200–1,500 kcal/day)≥150 min/weekMonthly counseling~Monthly~18 sessions−14.7% to −25.3%
SURMOUNT-3 lead-in1,200–1,500 kcal/day≥150 min/week≥14 sessions in 12 weeksWeekly+ during lead-in14+ in 12 wk−18.4%
OASIS 1, 4−500 kcal/day deficit≥150 min/weekLifestyle counselingPeriodic (likely monthly)~15–17 sessions−13.6% to −15.1%
ATTAIN-1, 2"Healthy diet" counselingPhysical activity counselingCounseling sessionsPeriodicNot specified−9.6% to −11.1%
REDEFINE 1−500 kcal/day deficit≥150 min/weekCounseling sessionsEvery 4 weeks~17 sessions−20.4%
SELECTNo protocolized diet/exercise intervention — standard-of-care recommendations only. Study visits every 4–8 weeks. Weight loss (ITT): −10.2%

SELECT and STEP 1 comparison. Both trials used semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly. STEP 1 included ~17 structured counseling sessions over 68 weeks and reported −14.9% weight loss (ITT). SELECT included no protocolized lifestyle intervention and reported −10.2% weight loss at week 208 (ITT). The trials differ in population, duration, and primary endpoint, so the numbers are not a controlled comparison of lifestyle contribution; they are reported here as protocol-level reference points.

Trial populations vs. the US adult obesity population

Bessette & Anderson (JAMA Intern Med, 2025) applied the pivotal-trial entry criteria to nationally representative NHANES data (N=8,767, representing 110.3 million US adults with overweight or obesity). The figures below show what share of treatment-eligible adults would have been excluded from each trial program by its full entry criteria, and which common conditions were grounds for exclusion. Adults ≥60 years were disproportionately likely to meet exclusion criteria.

26.2%
Of semaglutide-eligible adults excluded by STEP criteria
33.1%
Of tirzepatide-eligible adults excluded by SURMOUNT criteria
43.7%
Excluded from SURMOUNT when GI motility medications also excluded
28.1%
Of liraglutide-eligible adults excluded by SCALE criteria

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Exclusion criterionApplied inPrevalence in US obese adults
Type 2 diabetesAll trials except T2D-specific arms~25–30% of adults with BMI ≥30
Prior bariatric surgeryAll trials~270,000 surgeries/year in US
Major depression ≤2 yearsAll trials (PHQ-9 ≥15)~8–10% of US adults; higher among obese
Anti-obesity meds within 90 daysAll trialsCommon (phentermine, other agents)
GI motility medicationsSURMOUNT trials23.5% of eligible adults (PPIs, opioids, CCBs, TCAs)
Renal impairment (CKD 3+)Most trials~15% of obese adults
Insulin therapySURMOUNT-2, ATTAIN-2~30% of T2D patients

Demographic composition of trial populations. STEP 1 enrolled 5% Black participants; the US obese population is 12.4% Black. SELECT enrolled 3.8% Black participants. Across 27 GLP-1 obesity RCTs, 65–73% of participants were female. In SELECT, women had greater weight loss than men (−11.1% vs. −7.5%). ICER rated the STEP and SURMOUNT trials as "Fair" for race/ethnicity diversity and "Fair to Poor" for sex representation.

Source: Bessette LG, Anderson TS. "Generalizability of Clinical Trials of Novel Weight Loss Medications to the US Adult Population." JAMA Intern Med 2025;185(1):108–110. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.6340.

How this page was built

All data is drawn from peer-reviewed publications in NEJM, JAMA, Lancet, Nature Medicine, JAMA Internal Medicine, Diabetes Care, and related journals. DOIs are provided for every primary trial citation. Where trials report multiple estimands (on-treatment vs. treatment-policy), both are presented with the estimand clearly labeled. "Treatment-policy" and "ITT" are used interchangeably — both refer to the analysis that includes all randomized participants regardless of treatment discontinuation.

Responder threshold data uses the treatment-policy estimand where available; approximations are flagged in the table source notes. Phase 2 data is labeled and handled separately from Phase 3 pivotal-trial data. All trials were industry-funded by Novo Nordisk (STEP, OASIS, SCALE, SELECT, REDEFINE), Eli Lilly (SURMOUNT, ATTAIN, retatrutide), Boehringer Ingelheim/Zealand (survodutide), or Amgen (maritide).

This page presents the data as published and flags the systematic factors — estimand choice, lifestyle intervention, population selection, completion rates — that create differences between headline trial numbers and real-world employer outcomes. Corrections and updates can be submitted via the contact page.

Sources

Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, et al. "Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity." (STEP 1) NEJM. 2021;384:989–1002. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2032183
Davies M, Færch L, Jeppesen OK, et al. "Semaglutide 2.4 mg once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, and type 2 diabetes (STEP 2)." Lancet. 2021;397:971–984. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00213-0
Wadden TA, Bailey TS, Billings LK, et al. "Effect of Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo as an Adjunct to Intensive Behavioral Therapy on Body Weight (STEP 3)." JAMA. 2021;325:1403–1413. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.1831
Rubino D, Abrahamsson N, Davies M, et al. "Effect of Continued Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo on Weight Loss Maintenance (STEP 4)." JAMA. 2021;325:1414–1425. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.3224
Garvey WT, Batterham RL, Bhatt DL, et al. "Two-year effects of semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 5)." Nat Med. 2022;28:2083–2091. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-02026-4
Kosiborod MN, Abildstrøm SZ, Borlaug BA, et al. "Semaglutide in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Obesity (STEP-HFpEF)." NEJM. 2023;389:1069–1084. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2306963
Kosiborod MN, Petrie MC, Borlaug BA, et al. "Semaglutide in Patients with Obesity-Related Heart Failure and Type 2 Diabetes (STEP-HFpEF DM)." NEJM. 2024;390:1394–1407. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2313917
Lincoff AM, Brown-Frandsen K, Colhoun HM, et al. "Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes (SELECT)." NEJM. 2023;389:2221–2232. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2307563
Ryan DH, Lingvay I, Deanfield J, et al. "Long-term weight loss effects of semaglutide in obesity without diabetes in the SELECT trial." Nat Med. 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-02996-7 (208-week weight data)
Deanfield J, Verma S, Garvey WT, et al. "Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with obesity and prevalent heart failure: a prespecified analysis of the SELECT trial." Lancet. 2024. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01498-3
Deanfield J, Lincoff AM, Kahn SE, et al. "Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes by baseline and changes in adiposity: a prespecified analysis of the SELECT trial." Lancet. 2025. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01375-3 (mediation analysis)
Kahn SE, Deanfield J, Jeppesen OK, et al. "Effect of Semaglutide on Regression and Progression of Glycemia in the SELECT Trial." Diabetes Care. 2024;47(8):1350–1359. (diabetes prevention: 73% RRR)
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Garvey WT, Frias JP, Jastreboff AM, et al. "Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity in people with type 2 diabetes (SURMOUNT-2)." Lancet. 2023;402:613–626. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01200-X
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Compiled and maintained by Ray Wu, MD — physician-founder working on metabolic health technology.

Last updated: April 19, 2026

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