ADA 2021 Deep Dive into Semaglutide 2.4 mg: A Turning Point for Obesity Management?

While practice-changing discoveries and regulatory decisions happen once in a decade for most specialties, endocrinologists and diabetes specialists have had front row seats to multiple in recent years.

The revelation of SGLT2 inhibitors’ cardiorenal protective effects has taken main stage at the American Diabetes Association (ADA)’s recent conferences, but a majority of the discussion ahead of ADA 2021 is related to another familiar glucose-lowering agent: semaglutide. With the lower dose semaglutide a staple in treatment of type 2 diabetes, many diabetes specialists and endocrinologists, alike, were excited by the news of the US Food and Drug Administration’s decision to approve semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy) for chronic weight management, which was the first approval for such an indication from the FDA since 2014.

Now, excitement around the GLP-1RA continues to grow as Novo Nordisk has announced plans to evaluate the oral version of the semaglutide to determine if it could provide similar benefits on body weight in a phase 3a study.

With an interest in learning more about the approval, what it means for clinicians and patients, and what the future of obesity management looks like, Endocrinology Network reached out to Thomas Wadden, PhD, Former Director of the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at Penn Medicine and principal investigator of STEP 1 and STEP 3, and that conversation is the subject of this special edition Endocrine Outlook podcast.