Trial results for semaglutide (NCT04998136) in people living with obesity in Thailand and South Korea were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-04-03. The Phase 3 study showed that participants receiving semaglutide 2.4 mg achieved a mean body weight reduction of -16.4%, compared to -2.6% for those on placebo during the in-trial observation period.
Background
This study investigated the efficacy of semaglutide in people living with obesity. The trial specifically focused on participants from Thailand and South Korea.
Trial design
The study (NCT04998136) was a Phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that enrolled 150 participants from Thailand and South Korea. It investigated the effectiveness of semaglutide 2.4 mg in individuals living with obesity. Participants received either semaglutide 2.4 mg or placebo once weekly via injection. The study's primary objective was to evaluate the change in participants' body weight from baseline to the end of the study.
Key results
The trial results demonstrated significant differences in weight reduction between the semaglutide and placebo groups. For the outcome of "Change in Body Weight (%)":
- During the in-trial observation period, participants receiving semaglutide achieved a mean body weight reduction of -16.4% (Standard Deviation: 7.3), compared to -2.6% (Standard Deviation: 5.8) for those on placebo.
- During the on-treatment observation period, participants receiving semaglutide achieved a mean body weight reduction of -16.4% (Standard Deviation: 7.4), compared to -2.7% (Standard Deviation: 5.8) for those on placebo.
Regarding the proportion of participants achieving at least 5% body weight reduction:
- During the in-trial observation period, 96 participants in the semaglutide group achieved ≥ 5% body weight reduction, compared to 12 in the placebo group.
- During the on-treatment observation period, 92 participants in the semaglutide group achieved ≥ 5% body weight reduction, compared to 12 in the placebo group.
Key analyses showed:
- An ANCOVA analysis for the in-trial observation period indicated a treatment difference of -12.99% (95.0% CI: -15.28 to -10.7) with a p-value of 0.0001.
- A Mixed Model for Repeated Measurements (MMRM) analysis for the on-treatment observation period showed a treatment difference of -13.4% (95.0% CI: -15.7 to -11.11) with a p-value of 0.0001.
- Logistic regression for achieving ≥ 5% body weight reduction during the in-trial period showed an Odds Ratio (OR) of 88.87 (95.0% CI: 21.96 to 359.61) with a p-value of 0.0001.
- A logistic regression analysis for the on-treatment observation period, based on MMRM-predicted responses, showed an Odds Ratio (OR) of 253.47 (95.0% CI: 38.41 to 1672.57) with a p-value of 0.0001.
What this means
The results from this Phase 3 trial indicate that semaglutide 2.4 mg significantly reduced body weight in individuals living with obesity in Thailand and South Korea compared to placebo. The substantial mean percentage change in body weight and the high odds ratio for achieving clinically meaningful weight loss (≥ 5%) suggest that semaglutide continues to demonstrate strong efficacy in weight management across different populations. These findings reinforce its potential as an effective therapeutic option for obesity.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for study NCT04998136, titled "Research Study Investigating How Well Semaglutide Works in People From Thailand and South Korea Living With Obesity," were posted on 2025-04-03 on clinicaltrials.gov.