Semaglutide versus liraglutide for treatment of obesity Volume 3 - Issue 3

Nasser Mikhail*

• *Department of Medicine, Endocrinology Division, David-Geffen UCLA Medical School, USA

Received:April 02, 2021;   Published: April 19, 2021

Corresponding author: Nasser Mikhail, Endocrinology Division, Department of Medicine, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, David- Geffen UCLA Medical School, CA, USA

DOI: 10.32474/ADO.2021.03.000162

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Abstract

Background: Once weekly (OW) semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) currently under evaluation for treatment of obesity at a dose of 2.4 mg OW.

Objective: To compare weight-loss efficacy and safety of once daily (OD) liraglutide 3.0 mg versus OW semaglutide 2.4 mg. Methods: Pubmed research up to March 31, 2021. Randomized trials, pertinent animal studies, and reviews are included. Search terms were glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, weight loss, obesity, liraglutide, semaglutide, efficacy, safety.

Results: No head to head trials are available to provide direct comparison of efficacy of OD liraglutide 3.0 mg versus OW semaglutide 2.4 mg. However, marked resemblance between trials in terms of study protocols and subjects’ characteristics may allow indirect comparison. In clinical trials of OW semaglutide, this drug was consistently associated with greater weight loss than in trials of OD liraglutide. Thus, placebo-corrected percentage weight reduction was -10.3 to -12.4% and -5.4% with OW semaglutide and OD liraglutide, respectively. In patients with type 2 diabetes, corresponding weight reduction was less pronounced with both drugs being -6.2% and -4.3% with OW semaglutide and OD liraglutide, respectively. In addition, head to head trials comparing liraglutide and semaglutide used in different doses and formulations consistently showed more weight loss in favor of semaglutide. In general, the anti-hyperglycemic efficacy and safety profile are similar in both drugs.

Conclusions: Available indirect evidence suggests that OW semaglutide 2.4 mg may be superior to OD liraglutide 3.0 mg for weight loss. Head-to-head comparison between these 2 agents is essential to confirm this conclusion.

Keywords: Obesity; Liraglutide; Semaglutide; Glucagon-like Peptide-1; Efficacy; Safety; Weight Loss; Type 2 Diabetes; Hemoglobin A1c

Abstract| Introduction| Conclusions and Current Directions| Conflict of Interest| References|