Phase 2 study results with glucagon and GLP-1 receptor agonist in people with overweight or obesity
Treatment with the glucagon and GLP-1 receptor agonist survodutide resulted in weight loss compared with placebo in people with overweight or obesity without T2DM after 46 weeks in a phase 2 trial.
News - July 10, 2023In a phase 2 study, treatment with survodutide resulted in superior weight loss compared with placebo in people with overweight or obesity after 46 weeks of treatment. In the 4.8 mg group, a weight reduction of ~15% was observed. The results of this study were presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 83rd Scientific Sessions.
Survodutide is a glucagon , GLP-1 receptor agonist that may have effects on appetite and energy expenditure in the liver.
In this trial, people with overweight or obesity without T2DM were randomized to once-weekly subcutaneously administered survodutide for 46 weeks or placebo. During the first 20 weeks, dosing was escalated, after which a maintenance and evaluation dose of 0.6 mg, 2.4 mg, 3.6 mg, and 4.8 mg was given for the remaining 26 weeks.
Body weight reductions of at least 20% were achieved by up to 40% of the people in the two highest survodutide dose groups compared with a reduction of 0% in the placebo group. Up to 67% of the people at the highest survodutide dose achieved a body weight loss of 15% compared with 4.3% in the placebo group. There was no plateau in body weight reduction reached at week 46, which may suggest the possibility of additional weight loss benefit with longer treatment duration.
Safety and tolerability issues that often occur with GLP-1 receptor agonists were also detected after treatment with survodutide. Serious adverse effects were reported by 4.2% of people in the survodutide group vs. 6.5% in the placebo group. Treatment discontinuation in the survodutide group was high (24.6% vs. 3.9% in the placebo group), and this was mostly related to gastrointestinal adverse events. Most treatment discontinuations occurred during the rapid dose-escalation phase. It was therefore suggested that these events might be mitigated in subsequent studies with more gradual dose escalation.