Novo Nordisk has presented new sub‑analyses from the phase 3 OASIS 4 trial at ECO2026, showing that oral semaglutide 25mg tablets delivered substantial weight loss and improvements in mobility for adults living with obesity compared with placebo.
The company reported that 28.8% of adults taking semaglutide tablets were early responders, defined as losing at least 10% of body weight by week 16. This group achieved 13.2% weight loss at week 16 and an average of 21.6% by week 64.
Those who did not meet early response criteria still recorded 11.5% weight loss by week 64, meaning both groups achieved clinically meaningful reductions.
Professor Partha Kar, Consultant Diabetes & Endocrinology, Portsmouth, said: “Obesity management isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. It’s nuanced, and individual responses can differ quite markedly.”
A separate analysis showed that 77.3% of people with poor physical function at baseline experienced clinically meaningful improvements in mobility and bodily pain scores when taking semaglutide tablets, compared with 42.9% on placebo. Weight loss in this group was similar to that seen across the overall treatment arm.
Sebnem Avsar Tuna, UK General Manager, Novo Nordisk UK, said: “This is an important reminder that living with obesity can impact much more than body weight alone. It can influence how comfortable people feel moving through their daily lives.”
Additional findings from the ORION and OPTIC studies, also presented at ECO2026, indicated that semaglutide 25mg tablets delivered greater weight loss than orforglipron 36mg and were associated with lower odds of treatment discontinuation due to gastrointestinal side effects.
In the OPTIC study, 90% of 800 survey respondents preferred a treatment profile similar to semaglutide tablets.
The new analyses build on primary OASIS 4 results showing adults taking semaglutide tablets achieved 16.6% average weight loss compared with 2.7% for placebo, with a safety profile consistent with the GLP‑1 class.
