GLP-1 RA drugs effectively treat obesity in adults without diabetes

A meta- analysis of studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of various glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and co-agonists for treating obesity in adults without diabetes, suggests that GLP-1-based drugs offer effective treatment for such adults.

The findings were published on Jan. 6, 2025 in Annals of Internal Medicine.

The investigators extracted data from 26 RCTs (randomized controlled trials) enrolling a total of 15, 491 subjects (72% female; mean body mass index, 30 to 41 kg/m2; mean age, 34 to 57 years).

The subjects had used a total of 12 agents for long-term weight management, 3 commercially available agents, liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide, and 9 premarket agents.

Treatment duration ranged from 16 to 104 weeks (median, 43 weeks).

Compared with placebo, tirzepatide treatment (15 mg once weekly) resulted in weight loss of up to 17.8% after 72 weeks.

Semaglutide treatment (2.4 mg once weekly) resulted in weight loss of up to 13.9% after 68 weeks.

Liraglutide treatment (3.0 mg once daily) resulted in weight loss of up to 5.8% after 26 weeks.

Notably, treatment with the novel agent retatrutide (12 mg once weekly) resulted in greater weight loss than any of the approved agents, up to 22.1% after 48 weeks.

Other novel single and combination GLP-1 agents showed efficacy to varying degrees.

Rates of adverse events were similar for all of the drugs, and they were mostly mild gastrointestinal events, such as nausea and diarrhea.

The authors concluded, “GLP-1 RAs and co-agonists are efficacious for weight loss, with reported safety concerns predominantly gastrointestinal in nature, when used among adults with overweight or obesity and without diabetes.”