OBJECTIVES: Once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), is approved for weight management in adults with obesity, or overweight and ≥1 weight-related condition. However, limited real-world evidence on clinical outcomes of these patients exists. The aim of this real-world study is to understand the impact of semaglutide 2.4 mg on weight loss in patients in the US.

METHODS: This non-interventional, observational, retrospective cohort study used data from the IQVIA Ambulatory Electronic Medical Record linked to Longitudinal Access and Adjudication Data. Patients ≥18 years with ≥1 filled prescription of semaglutide 2.4 mg between June and September 2021 (earliest prescription date defined as index date), and with weight and/or body mass index (BMI) at the index date +/- 30 days were included, with baseline demographic and clinical characteristics reported for the 6-month pre-index period. The primary endpoint was to assess change in weight from baseline to end of the 6-month follow-up period, calculated as percentage weight loss, and proportion of patients achieving ≥5%, ≥10%, and ≥15% weight loss.

RESULTS: Of the 111 patients, 85.6% were female; mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 47.3 (10.1) years; 81.1% had third-party insurance coverage. Mean (SD) baseline BMI and weight were 37.5 (5.4) kg/m² and 105.0 (20.1) kg, respectively. Mean (SD) reduction in weight from baseline to the end of the 6-month follow-up period was 10.2 (6.3) kg, equating to a weight loss of 9.8%. Weight loss of ≥5% was achieved by 87 (78.4%) patients, ≥10% by 53 (47.7%) patients, and ≥15% by 24 (21.6%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS: In this real-world, retrospective study, patients treated with semaglutide 2.4 mg achieved mean weight reduction at 6 months (~10%) consistent with that observed at similar time points in clinical trials. Longer follow-up is needed to determine whether real-world results will continue to approximate clinical trial results beyond 6 months.