Weight loss research & insights

Weight loss. .Better understood.

We explore the science of weight management.
From clinical studies to the people in our care.

Let’s look closer

Illustrative portrait in natural daylight

Illustration of a receptor and signalling molecule

01 / The biology of weight

It starts with your biology.

Appetite is shaped by signals between your gut and brain. Understanding those signals helps us understand weight management.

02 / A closer look

Small signals. A complex system.

After eating, your gut releases GLP-1, a hormone involved in appetite regulation. Its signal reaches receptors in the body.

03 / The science of GLP-1

A signal treatment can work with.

Semaglutide mimics GLP-1 and acts on its receptors. This is one way prescription treatment can support appetite regulation.

04 / From biology to care

Understanding hunger. Supporting you.

Semaglutide acts on brain regions involved in appetite, helping reduce hunger and food intake. Your physician assesses its benefits and risks for you.

Explore the research

About this explanation

Our explanation focuses on injectable semaglutide. Other medicines have different mechanisms. The imagery is illustrative and does not show an exact molecular structure; the portrait is AI-generated and does not depict a patient. Read Novo Nordisk’s mechanism explanation.

Published clinical research

The research.
The bigger picture.

We bring you the findings, the study population and the details that matter. So you can understand the evidence behind treatment.

Weight managementSTEP 1 · 2021

14.9%

Semaglutide

2.4%

Placebo

What changed
in STEP 1.

Mean weight reduction after 68 weeks in adults with overweight or obesity, without diabetes. Both groups received lifestyle intervention.

1,961 adultsWeekly semaglutide 2.4 mgNew England Journal of Medicine

SELECT / 2023

Looking beyond
the scale.

17,604

adults studied for cardiovascular outcomes.

Age 45+ · established cardiovascular disease · overweight or obesity · without diabetes

Evidence meets expertise

Evidence, with
a human perspective.

Our approach to your care

Read the methods

Behind every result,
a clinical question.

Weight change

The STEP 1 randomized trial

Population: 1,961 adults without diabetes; BMI ≥30, or ≥27 with a weight-related condition.
Methods: Double-blind, 2:1 randomization; subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly versus placebo, both with lifestyle intervention.
Finding: Mean weight change: −14.9% versus −2.4%. Estimated difference: −12.4 percentage points (95% CI −13.4 to −11.5; P<0.001).

Read the original paper

Cardiovascular outcomes

The SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial

Population: 17,604 adults aged ≥45 with established cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity, without diabetes.
Methods: Semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly versus placebo; mean follow-up 39.8 months.
Finding: Primary cardiovascular events: 6.5% versus 8.0%; hazard ratio 0.80 (95% CI 0.72–0.90). Permanent discontinuation due to adverse events: 16.6% versus 8.2%.

Read the original paper

Longer-term follow-up

What happens after treatment withdrawal?

Population: Exploratory STEP 1 extension, 327 participants.
Methods: The exploratory STEP 1 extension followed 327 participants. After semaglutide and structured lifestyle intervention were withdrawn at week 68, the semaglutide group regained 11.6 percentage points by week 120, following a 17.3% mean loss in that subset. Net loss from baseline was 5.6%. The subset differs from the full trial analysis, and the extension was observational.
Finding: Short-term follow-up cannot establish maintenance. Later weight, treatment status and metabolic measurements are needed to describe durability.

Read the original paper

These are published trial findings, not DarDoc programme outcomes. Results depend on the population and protocol studied. Individual results vary; benefits and risks require a physician’s assessment.