Current 61 - Study Finds Oral Semaglutide Effective for Weight Loss

Summary

Obesity is associated with reduced life expectancy and increased cardiometabolic risk, and many individuals are unable to achieve sustained weight loss with lifestyle modification alone. Semaglutide, a GLP‑1 receptor agonist, was previously approved as a 2.4‑mg subcutaneous formulation. The OASIS (Oral Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with Obesity) 4 study evaluated an oral 25 mg dose for chronic weight management in adults without diabetes who had obesity or overweight and comorbidities. Recently published in the NEJM, the trial’s results showed oral 25 mg semaglutide demonstrated clinically meaningful weight‑loss efficacy, offering a flexible alternative to injectable 2.4 mg semaglutide for obesity management.

The double‑blind, randomized, placebo‑controlled phase 3 trial followed 307 participants from 22 sites in four countries. Participants received oral semaglutide or placebo once daily alongside lifestyle interventions. At 64 weeks, mean weight reduction was −13.6% with oral semaglutide versus −2.2% with placebo (p < 0.001). A significantly greater proportion of participants treated with semaglutide achieved weight‑loss thresholds of ≥ 5%, ≥ 10%, ≥ 15%, and ≥ 20%. Nearly one‑third achieved ≥ 20% weight loss. Gastrointestinal adverse events were more frequent with semaglutide (74.0% vs. 42.2%) but were generally mild to moderate and transient.

This summary was created with assistance from generative artificial intelligence (Microsoft Copilot, 2026)

Sources

Wharton S, Lingvay I, Bogdanski P, et al. Oral semaglutide at a dose of 25 mg in adults with overweight or obesity. N Engl J Med. 393(11):1077-1087. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2500969.