STEP 1: Research Study Investigating How Well Semaglutide Works in People Suffering From Overweight or Obesity

Summary

This study will look at the change in participants' body weight from the start to the end of the study. The weight loss in participants taking semaglutide (a new medicine) will be compared to the weight loss of participants taking "dummy" medicine. In addition to taking the medicine, participants will have talks with study staff about healthy food choices, how to be more physically active and what you can do to lose weight. Participants will either get semaglutide or "dummy" medicine - which treatment participants get, is decided by chance. Participants will need to take 1 injection once a week. The study medicine is injected with a thin needle in a skin fold in the stomach, thigh or upper arm. The study has two phases: A main phase and an extension phase.The main phase will last for about 1.5 years. Participants will have 15 clinic visits and 10 phone calls with the study doctor. Extension phase: Approximately 300 participants will continue in the extension phase in the following countries only: Canada, Germany, the UK and selected sites in the US and Japan. These participants will be in the study for about 2.5 years.They will not receive treatment, but will attend another 5 follow-up visits with the study doctor.

Timeline

Start

2018-06-04

Primary completion

2020-03-30

Completion

2021-03-05

Publications

• Background Kushner RF, Calanna S, Davies M, Dicker D, Garvey WT, Goldman B, Lingvay I, Thomsen M, Wadden TA, Wharton S, Wilding JPH, Rubino D. Semaglutide 2.4 mg for the Treatment of Obesity: Key Elements of the STEP Trials 1 to 5. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2020 Jun;28(6):1050-1061. doi: 10.1002/oby.22794.
• Results Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, Davies M, Van Gaal LF, Lingvay I, McGowan BM, Rosenstock J, Tran MTD, Wadden TA, Wharton S, Yokote K, Zeuthen N, Kushner RF; STEP 1 Study Group. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. N Engl J Med. 2021 Mar 18;384(11):989-1002. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2032183. Epub 2021 Feb 10.
• Schattenberg JM, Gronbaek H, Kliers I, Ladelund S, Long MT, Nygard SB, Sanyal AJ, Davies MJ. Proteomic signatures reflect effects of semaglutide treatment for MASH. JHEP Rep. 2025 Jul 22;7(10):101521. doi: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2025.101521. eCollection 2025 Oct.
• Kral P, Holst-Hansen T, Olivieri AV, Ivanescu C, Lamotte M, Larsen S. The Correlation Between Body Mass Index and Health-Related Quality of Life: Data from Two Weight Loss Intervention Studies. Adv Ther. 2024 Nov;41(11):4228-4247. doi: 10.1007/s12325-024-02932-8. Epub 2024 Sep 24.
• Wadden TA, Brown GK, Egebjerg C, Frenkel O, Goldman B, Kushner RF, McGowan B, Overvad M, Fink-Jensen A. Psychiatric Safety of Semaglutide for Weight Management in People Without Known Major Psychopathology: Post Hoc Analysis of the STEP 1, 2, 3, and 5 Trials. JAMA Intern Med. 2024 Nov 1;184(11):1290-1300. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.4346.
• Rubino D, Bjorner JB, Rathor N, Sharma AM, von Huth Smith L, Wharton S, Wadden T, Zeuthen N, Kolotkin RL. Effect of semaglutide 2.4 mg on physical functioning and weight- and health-related quality of life in adults with overweight or obesity: Patient-reported outcomes from the STEP 1-4 trials. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2024 Jul;26(7):2945-2955. doi: 10.1111/dom.15620. Epub 2024 May 2.
• McGowan BM, Houshmand-Oeregaard A, Laursen PN, Zeuthen N, Baker-Knight J. Impact of BMI and comorbidities on efficacy of once-weekly semaglutide: Post hoc analyses of the STEP 1 randomized trial. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023 Apr;31(4):990-999. doi: 10.1002/oby.23732. Epub 2023 Mar 6.
• Heerspink HJL, Apperloo E, Davies M, Dicker D, Kandler K, Rosenstock J, Sorrig R, Lawson J, Zeuthen N, Cherney D. Effects of Semaglutide on Albuminuria and Kidney Function in People With Overweight or Obesity With or Without Type 2 Diabetes: Exploratory Analysis From the STEP 1, 2, and 3 Trials. Diabetes Care. 2023 Apr 1;46(4):801-810. doi: 10.2337/dc22-1889.
• Kosiborod MN, Bhatta M, Davies M, Deanfield JE, Garvey WT, Khalid U, Kushner R, Rubino DM, Zeuthen N, Verma S. Semaglutide improves cardiometabolic risk factors in adults with overweight or obesity: STEP 1 and 4 exploratory analyses. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2023 Feb;25(2):468-478. doi: 10.1111/dom.14890. Epub 2022 Oct 28.
• Perreault L, Davies M, Frias JP, Laursen PN, Lingvay I, Machineni S, Varbo A, Wilding JPH, Wallenstein SOR, le Roux CW. Changes in Glucose Metabolism and Glycemic Status With Once-Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide 2.4 mg Among Participants With Prediabetes in the STEP Program. Diabetes Care. 2022 Oct 1;45(10):2396-2405. doi: 10.2337/dc21-1785.
• Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Davies M, Van Gaal LF, Kandler K, Konakli K, Lingvay I, McGowan BM, Oral TK, Rosenstock J, Wadden TA, Wharton S, Yokote K, Kushner RF; STEP 1 Study Group. Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2022 Aug;24(8):1553-1564. doi: 10.1111/dom.14725. Epub 2022 May 19.
• O'Neil PM, Birkenfeld AL, McGowan B, Mosenzon O, Pedersen SD, Wharton S, Carson CG, Jepsen CH, Kabisch M, Wilding JPH. Efficacy and safety of semaglutide compared with liraglutide and placebo for weight loss in patients with obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo and active controlled, dose-ranging, phase 2 trial. Lancet. 2018 Aug 25;392(10148):637-649. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31773-2. Epub 2018 Aug 16.

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Indications