Novo Nordisk said its weekly semaglutide injection reduced obesity in children in a phase‑III trial. After 68 weeks of treatment, 40.4% of participants aged six to 11 were no longer classified as obese, compared with 0% in the placebo arm. The drug, the active ingredient in the weight‑loss product Wegovy, was administered once a week.
The trial required strict adherence to the regimen and concurrent lifestyle changes, including a reduced‑calorie diet and increased physical activity. At enrollment, more than 85% of the children had severe obesity. Novo Nordisk’s head of research, Martin Holst Lange, said the findings show the drug’s potential to help children who need medical treatment in addition to lifestyle modification, potentially averting long‑term health risks.
Safety data matched earlier adult and adolescent studies, with no adverse effects on growth or puberty observed. Detailed results are slated for presentation at a medical conference in Washington in mid‑November.
The company highlighted the broader context of rising childhood obesity. The World Obesity Federation estimates 177 million children and adolescents aged five to 19 were obese in 2025, a figure projected to climb to 228 million by 2040. In the United States, off‑label prescriptions of GLP‑1 drugs for children under 12 have surged more than 300‑fold since 2019, despite the medicines not being approved for that age group.
