15.8% Average Loss With Semaglutide vs. 6.4% With Liraglutide
STEP 8 compared two established weight-management medicines under a defined 68-week trial protocol. The result reports a larger average weight change with once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg than with once-daily liraglutide 3.0 mg, but it does not decide which medicine, provider, or program is appropriate for any individual.
Mean body-weight change from baseline to week 68 was −15.8% with semaglutide and −6.4% with liraglutide.
The estimated difference between the two active treatments was −9.4 percentage points. This was a medicine comparison using specific dosing schedules and trial eligibility criteria; it did not evaluate telehealth care models, affordability, coverage, or provider service quality.
Turn the study result into a better program comparison
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Study details
- Population
- Adults with obesity or overweight without diabetes who met the trial’s BMI and clinical eligibility criteria
- Follow-up
- 68 weeks
- Treatment comparison
- Once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg compared with once-daily subcutaneous liraglutide 3.0 mg, with lifestyle intervention
- Study design
- Phase 3a, randomized, open-label, active-controlled trial
A study result is not a personal treatment plan
The trial compared specified weekly and daily injection regimens with lifestyle intervention. It does not establish individual eligibility, local medication access, a provider’s current prescribing options, coverage, side-effect tolerance, or the best plan for a particular person. A licensed clinician must assess those factors.
Compare semaglutide and tirzepatide programsWhat this result does not show
- The study compared fixed trial regimens of semaglutide 2.4 mg and liraglutide 3.0 mg, rather than every product, formulation, or care model.
- Participants did not have diabetes and met the trial’s defined eligibility criteria.
- The 15.8% and 6.4% figures are group averages at week 68, not guaranteed outcomes for an individual person.
- The study was funded by Novo Nordisk; the primary paper and disclosures are linked at the end of this article.
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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 JAMA