Obesity evidence dossier
Wegovy HD (semaglutide 7.2 mg)
A higher-dose semaglutide benchmark that narrows the gap between classic Wegovy and newer dual-agonist drugs.
Total weight loss
18.7%
STEP UP · 7.2 mg · week 72 · Includes treatment stops
Placebo-adjusted
14.8%
Difference from placebo in the same study when reported.
Study context
GLP-1 receptor agonist/Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes/1407 participants across the study/72-week endpoint
Baseline: See the source for enrollment criteria
Ranked result & calculation
STEP UP · 7.2 mg · 72 weeks
Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes. 1,407 participants across the study (not this dose arm alone).
Includes treatment stops. Treatment-policy results estimate outcomes regardless of stopping treatment.
- Average weight loss
- 18.7%
- Placebo group
- 3.9% loss
- Beyond placebo
- 14.8 percentage points (arm subtraction)
- Stopped due to adverse events
- Not verified for this result
Score: 70% × 76.8 total-loss points + 30% × 71.1 beyond-placebo points = 75/100, rounded. Conversion scales
Alternative analysis assuming continued treatment: 20.7% total loss. This is not the result used for the headline score. Alternative analysis source ↗
Novo Nordisk, STEP UP ↗Phase 3 · Sponsor disclosure · Reviewed 2026-09-21
Evidence
Benchmark read
STEP UP: Includes treatment stops.
Diabetes data
Higher-dose semaglutide diabetes trials should be read separately because baseline diabetes usually reduces observed weight-loss magnitude.
Safety
Side effects and cautions
Discontinuation read
Adverse-event discontinuation has not been verified for this result.
Common side effects
Common GLP-1 adverse reactions include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, indigestion, dizziness, bloating, burping, gas, gastroenteritis, and reflux.
Main cautions
Semaglutide label warnings include thyroid C-cell tumor risk, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, acute kidney injury, diabetic retinopathy complications, and heart-rate increase. The suicidal-behavior-and-ideation warning was removed from the US label in January 2026.
Upcoming catalyst
What to watch next
Launch uptake, payer positioning, and whether patients tolerate higher-dose escalation.
Linked clinical trials
Trials in the saddl3 obesity snapshot
Non-diabetic obesity studies are prioritized; diabetes and healthy-volunteer studies remain visible and labeled.