15.2% Average Loss With Semaglutide at 104 Weeks
STEP 5 followed adults using once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg or placebo for two years alongside behavioral intervention. It offers a longer-term trial result under defined eligibility, dose, and follow-up conditions—not a forecast of what a particular online program or individual will experience.
Mean body-weight change from baseline to week 104 was −15.2% with semaglutide and −2.6% with placebo.
The estimated treatment difference was −12.6 percentage points. At week 104, 77.1% of semaglutide participants and 34.4% of placebo participants achieved at least 5% weight loss. Gastrointestinal events were reported more often with semaglutide and were mostly mild to moderate.
Turn the study result into a better program comparison
A two-year trial result can help frame questions, but it cannot select a provider for you. Compare GLP-1 programs on the practical terms the study did not evaluate: the plans offered, medication status, clinician follow-up, public price terms, and enrollment conditions. The reviewed brands below have category-matched GLP-1 offers; none participated in or is endorsed by this study.
From $49 – $129/mo · Editorial score 4.7/5
Featured value terms: semaglutide $49/mo or tirzepatide $89/mo with 12-month prepayment; $99/$129 month to month.
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Study details
- Population
- 304 adults with obesity or overweight plus at least one weight-related comorbidity, without diabetes
- Follow-up
- 104 weeks
- Treatment comparison
- Once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg compared with placebo, with behavioral intervention in both groups
- Study design
- Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
A study result is not a personal treatment plan
The trial used a specific 2.4 mg semaglutide regimen with behavioral intervention and a defined study population. It does not determine whether a person is eligible for a prescription, what a provider can currently offer, what insurance covers, or how an individual will tolerate treatment. Those questions require a licensed clinician and current program terms.
Compare semaglutide and tirzepatide programsWhat this result does not show
- The trial enrolled adults without diabetes who had obesity or overweight plus at least one weight-related comorbidity.
- The 15.2% figure reflects average weight change at week 104 with semaglutide 2.4 mg plus behavioral intervention, not an individual prediction.
- It does not compare telehealth providers, affordability, pharmacy access, coverage, or program quality.
- The study was funded by Novo Nordisk; the primary paper and disclosures are linked at the end of this article.
Related Studies
Explore other peer-reviewed results in Evidence Watch before comparing programs or discussing options with a clinician.
Primary peer-reviewed source
Read the full paper, methodology, conflict-of-interest disclosures, and supplementary materials before drawing conclusions beyond this plain-English summary.
Read the study at Nature Medicine