The Summary
The REDEFINE 5 phase 3a randomized controlled trial compared a once-weekly combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide (2.4 mg each) to semaglutide alone (2.4 mg) in 331 East Asian adults with overweight or obesity. Over 68 weeks, participants on the combination therapy achieved an average weight reduction of 18.4%, compared to 11.9% for those on semaglutide alone. Both groups experienced similar rates of mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal side effects, demonstrating that the combination therapy offers significantly superior efficacy with a comparable safety profile.
Why this is interesting
By combining semaglutide (a GLP-1 receptor agonist) with cagrilintide (an amylin analogue), this therapy targets two distinct satiety pathways. Previously, single-pathway drugs were the gold standard, but this trial proves dual-targeting therapies can safely break through existing weight-loss limits. For readers, this marks a major leap toward highly effective, non-surgical obesity treatments that could soon become widely available.