The increasing global frequency of obesity and its resultant health effects are well documented.1–4 Drug development for obesity has been hampered by concerns over cardiovascular safety and a paucity of significant efficacy.1 One possible pharmaceutical solution to promote weight loss lies in the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue class of drugs, one of which is semaglutide and is approved with a dosing schedule of once per a week for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.5 Reported in The Lancet, Patrick O'Neil and colleagues' Article5 presents a randomised, double-blind, placebo and active controlled, dose-ranging, phase 2 trial of daily subcutaneous semaglutide (doses ranging from 0·05 mg to 0·4 mg) versus liraglutide (3·0 mg per day) and matched placebo for the treatment of non-diabetic obesity over a 52-week period.
Original Article: [Comment] Semaglutide and GLP-1 analogues as weight-loss agents