Benefit-Risk Assessment of Obesity Drugs: Focus on Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists

Liraglutide 3.0 mg/day resulted in an average placebo-subtracted weight loss of 5.5 kg over 1- to 3-year trials.

• Semaglutide 0.4 mg once daily led to an average weight loss of 11.6% (~13.1 kg) after 1 year.
• In a head-to-head comparison, semaglutide showed a ~6 percentage point larger placebo-subtracted body weight loss than liraglutide (11.6% vs. 5.5%).
• Both liraglutide and semaglutide are generally well tolerated, with transient gastrointestinal disorders being the most common adverse events.
• No new safety concerns were raised in the longest running and most recent trials of these drugs.
• Long-term trials and ongoing monitoring are necessary to fully evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of these treatments.

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