Clinical characteristics affecting weight loss in an East Asian population receiving semaglutide: A STEP 6 subgroup analysis

Objective: To explore the effects of semaglutide versus placebo on body weight (BW) by subgroups of baseline characteristics.

Methods: In STEP 6, Japanese and Korean adults with overweight or obesity were randomized to subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg, semaglutide 1.7 mg, or placebo for 68 weeks. A subset of Japanese participants with type 2 diabetes (T2D) was also included. In this post-hoc analysis, change from baseline in BW (%) was assessed by subgroups of baseline characteristics including baseline BW, body mass index, age, sex, glycemic status, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.

Results: Of 401 participants (148 female and 253 male) included, the estimated mean change in BW was clinically relevant across all subgroups for semaglutide 2.4 mg, ranging from -9.40 % to -16.42 %. Estimated treatment differences also favored both semaglutide doses versus placebo. Significant treatment-by-subgroup interactions were observed for sex with semaglutide 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg versus placebo at week 68 (p = 0.0008 and p = 0.0005, respectively). Significant treatment-by-subgroup interactions were also observed for presence of T2D and dyslipidemia at baseline, for semaglutide 2.4 mg versus placebo only (p = 0.0381 and p = 0.0181, respectively).

Conclusions: Semaglutide reduces BW in a wide demographic of people with a range of weight-related comorbidities in an East Asian population.