Novo Nordisk has shared new data that suggests a higher dose version of its blockbuster weight loss drug, Wegovy (semaglutide), can prompt stronger weight loss in patients, bolstering the brand’s future utilisation amid sustained competition from rival glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs).
According to the analysis, the results of which were presented at the ongoing 2026 European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Istanbul, early Wegovy responders in the pivotal STEP UP trial (NCT05649137) lost 27.7% of their weight from baseline, on average, at week 72 while taking a 7.2mg dose weekly. The trial enrolled 1,400 adults who were obese but not living with type 2 diabetes. The higher dose version of the drug is already available in multiple regions, courtesy of several approvals in 2026.
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Researchers deemed patients early responders if they lost at least 15% of their body weight after 24 weeks of treatment – with just over a quarter of those receiving the high dose of the injectable GLP-1RA being classified into this subcategory.
This 27.7% rate compares favourably with the mean weight loss of 24.8% seen in early responding patients on the 2.4mg dose. Across all groups, the 7.2mg dose led to 20.7% weight loss, while the lower dose produced weight loss of 17.5%.
These results could help slow the pace of Wegovy’s market share erosion to Eli Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide), which was proven superior in terms of relative weight loss during an open-label study.
Preserving muscle mass on GLP-1RAs
Alongside the drug’s weight loss impact, Novo Nordisk has also uncovered Wegovy’s potential to preserve muscle mass, as unintended treatment-related muscle loss concerns continue to swirl around the GLP-1RA class. In a secondary analysis conducted on sub-population of 55 patients from the STEP UP trial, MRI scans revealed that 84% of the weight lost when taking either the low or high dose of Wegovy was fat, while muscle mass diminished only by 10% from baseline.
On top of this, Novo Nordisk claims that this impact was backed by improved muscle health due to a drop in muscle fat, as well as consistent muscular strength following treatment, per the results of a comparative sit-to-stand test between Wegovy and placebo-randomised patients.
Novo Nordisk first secured approval for the 7.2mg dose of Wegovy, coined Wegovy HD, in the UK in January 2026 – with the formulation later being greenlit in the US, Europe and Brazil. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Wegovy HD through the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) scheme, the future of which could now be uncertain following the resignation of the initiative’s creator and FDA commissioner, Marty Makary, after Trump reportedly signed off on his dismissal.
Taking on Eli Lilly in the obesity market
Novo Nordisk presents new data on Wegovy as the company continues to battle for market share with competitor Eli Lilly in the burgeoning obesity field. Following a tough year, the Danish pharma’s Q1 results could allude to a potential turn in fortunes, which will be – in part – driven by the early launch success of its recently approved Wegovy pill. Since oral Wegovy’s debut on the US market earlier this year, doctors have already written more than two million prescriptions for the drug.
Oral Wegovy, along with injectable Wegovy HD, are positioned by the company as growth drivers to retake territory in the obesity market.
Novo Nordisk will have to continue navigating competition from Lilly, along with semaglutide’s patent expiry in regions like Canada, India and China, where several companies are planning to commercialise generics.
Meanwhile, several other companies are seeking a slice of the weight loss market, including Roche and Zealand Pharma, Structure Therapeutics, Boehringer Ingelheim and Pfizer, to name a few.
