Wegovy 7.2 mg Shows Deeper Fat Loss in STEP UP
Wegovy 7.2 mg STEP UP sub-analyses showed 21.0% week-72 weight loss mostly from fat, giving investors fresh efficacy metrics to weigh.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- STEP UP showed the 7.2 mg arm averaged 21.0% weight loss at week 72.
- Whole-body MRI showed about 84.0% of total weight loss was fat mass.
- Early responders on 7.2 mg averaged 27.7% loss at week 72 versus 24.8% for 2.4 mg.
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Novo Nordisk said in a May 12, 2026 press release that Wegovy 7.2 mg produced substantial weight loss at week 72 in the STEP UP trial, with MRI data showing most of the reduction was fat. The company presented these findings at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) 2026.
STEP UP Trial Results and Body Composition
The phase 3 STEP UP trial enrolled about 1,400 adults with obesity and lasted 72 weeks. Participants were randomized to once-weekly semaglutide at 7.2 mg, 2.4 mg, or placebo.
At week 72, the 7.2 mg group averaged 21.0% weight loss, compared with 17.5% for the 2.4 mg group and 2.4% for placebo. About 27.0% of patients on the 7.2 mg dose met an early-responder threshold of at least 15.0% weight loss by week 24. These early responders averaged 27.7% loss at week 72, versus 24.8% for early responders on 2.4 mg.
A subgroup of 55 patients underwent whole-body MRI, which showed roughly 84.0% of total weight loss was fat mass. Lean mass declined by about 10.0%, while muscle function was preserved.
A post-hoc analysis of women by menopause stage showed premenopausal participants averaged 22.6% weight loss, with 41.4% achieving at least 25.0%. Perimenopausal women averaged 19.7% loss and postmenopausal 19.8%. Nearly half of the women shifted from obesity to overweight or normal body-mass index (BMI).
Discontinuation rates for the 7.2 mg dose were similar to those for the 2.4 mg dose.
Novo Nordisk also referenced complementary data from the SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial and a real-world study comparing 9,321 Wegovy users with 18,642 non-users.
The company issued two press releases on May 12, 2026—at 2:00 a.m. ET and 6:25 a.m. ET—and presented the STEP UP sub-analyses at ECO in Istanbul, Türkiye, May 12–15.
These results expand Wegovy’s clinical profile by demonstrating larger, fat-focused weight loss at the higher dose, providing investors and traders with fresh efficacy and body-composition metrics. The materials did not mention any regulatory filings or approvals for the 7.2 mg dose.
"Novo Nordisk is presenting a new sub-analysis from the large clinical trial STEP UP at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) on 12-15 May in Istanbul, Türkiye, showing that the higher dose of the weight loss drug Wegovy® is highly effective," the company said in its press release.
