Semaglutide Better Than Liraglutide for Post-Bariatric Surgery Weight Recurrence

WEDNESDAY, June 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Semaglutide is associated with superior weight loss for treating post-metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) weight recurrence compared with liraglutide, according to a study published in the May issue of Obesity.

Natia Murvelashvili, M.D., from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues compared the effectiveness of weekly semaglutide versus daily liraglutide for treating post-MBS weight recurrence in a retrospective study. The analysis included 207 adults with post-MBS weight recurrence treated with weekly semaglutide (115 individuals) or daily liraglutide (92 individuals).

The researchers report that the least-squares mean weight change at 12 months was −12.92 percent in the semaglutide group versus −8.77 percent in the liraglutide group. The odds of ≥10 and ≥15 percent weight loss over 12 months were higher in the semaglutide group versus the liraglutide group (adjusted odds ratios, 2.34 and 2.55, respectively). There were no differences seen in the effectiveness of semaglutide versus liraglutide by the subgroups analyzed, including age, sex, and bariatric procedure type.

"A strength of this study is that these real-world data reflect weight-loss outcomes achieved under circumstances of everyday clinical care in a population seeking treatment for post-MBS weight recurrence," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of semaglutide.

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