3 min readSep 10, 2026 07:52 AM IST
Children received a maximum semaglutide dose of either 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg, depending on their weight at the start of the trial. (Source: File)About four in 10 children with obesity, who received once-weekly semaglutide, were no longer classified as having obesity after 68 weeks, according to topline results from a phase 3 trial released by drugmaker Novo Nordisk.
The STEP Young trial, which involved 165 children aged 6 to under 12 years, found that 40.4% of children treated with semaglutide moved below the obesity threshold, compared with none in the placebo group. The trial met its primary endpoint, showing a greater reduction in body mass index (BMI) among children receiving semaglutide.
Importantly, the drug was studied alongside lifestyle modification. Both the semaglutide and placebo groups followed a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity throughout the 68-week trial.