Novo Nordisk reports promising results from a late-stage trial showing that its obesity drug semaglutide enables nearly 40% of children aged six to under 12 to reduce their BMIs below the obesity threshold, signalling a potential shift in paediatric obesity treatment.
Novo Nordisk says its semaglutide treatment has helped some children aged six to under 12 with obesity move below the obesity threshold in a late-stage trial, adding fresh momentum to a fast-changing area of paediatric medicine. The company said the STEP Young study met its main goal after 68 weeks, with the drug paired with diet and exercise advice rather than used on its own. Reuters reported that 40.4% of children who received semaglutide were no longer classified as having obesity at the end of the trial, while no children in the placebo group reached that mark.
The results matter because Wegovy, the brand name for semaglutide, is already approved in the United States for adults and for adolescents aged 12 and older, but not for younger children. According to Novo Nordisk, the trial also found that the treatment’s safety and tolerability were in line with earlier studies in teenagers and adults, although the company said more follow-up will be needed to understand how the medicine affects children as they grow.
The trial arrives as prescribing in younger children is rising quickly, even if it remains uncommon. A study published in Pediatrics found GLP-1 receptor agonist use among children aged eight to 11 with obesity rose 310-fold between 2019 and June 2026, from 0.03% to 9.3%, while the overall share of children in that age group receiving the drugs was still only 0.6%. The researchers said prescribing was concentrated among children with severe obesity and obesity-related illnesses, suggesting doctors are mainly turning to the medicines for those at highest risk.
The NYU Langone team said the pattern points to a cautious medical approach rather than routine use. In the study, nearly 94% of young children given GLP-1 medicines had severe obesity, about 65% had at least one related condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or sleep apnoea, and roughly a quarter had prediabetes. Lead investigator Babak J. Orandi said the findings offer the first national view of GLP-1 use in young children, and co-senior author Allan B. Massie warned that access must keep pace if treatment is to reach the children who need it most.
Even so, the latest trial and the prescribing data leave major questions unanswered. Semaglutide can reduce appetite and slow digestion, which may help children with severe obesity lower the risk of later diabetes, liver disease and heart problems. But researchers say doctors will still need to weigh a child’s overall health, development and family circumstances, and to monitor long-term use closely to see whether the benefits last after treatment stops and whether growth is affected.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
