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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Wegovy works in younger kids too. The STEP Young trial found that once-weekly semaglutide significantly reduced BMI in children aged 6–11 with obesity, with 40.4% of treated kids no longer meeting the obesity threshold at 68 weeks. The placebo group remained fully in the obesity range. Safety profiles looked reassuring, with no concerns around growth or puberty.
Wegovy works in younger kids too
Results from the STEP Young trial — the first phase 3 study of semaglutide in children under 12 — show that once-weekly injectable Wegovy (1.7 mg or 2.4 mg) significantly reduced BMI in children aged 6–11 with obesity over 68 weeks. The trial enrolled 165 children, more than 85% of whom had class 2 or class 3 (severe) obesity, and combined the drug with a reduced-calorie diet and physical activity.
The results were striking: 40.4% of kids in the semaglutide group dropped below the obesity threshold on age- and sex-specific BMI growth charts by week 68, while every child in the placebo group still met the criteria for obesity. Safety and tolerability were consistent with prior semaglutide and liraglutide trials, with no red flags around growth or pubertal development.
By the numbers:
Why it matters: Childhood obesity carries long-term health risks and often persists into adulthood. Extending effective pharmacological options to younger children could be a game-changer — full trial data will be presented at ObesityWeek in November.
