← Research Digest
30 Oct 2026 · Semaglutide
Semaglutide 2.4 mg in Chinese adults with overweight or obesity (STEP 12)
Studied in
242 adults in mainland China and Taiwan, BMI 24 to under 30Design
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 44 weeksEvidence
A · Human RCTWhat was studied
Whether once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg works in adults defined as overweight or obese under Chinese thresholds (a BMI of 24 to 28 with a weight-related condition, or 28 to 30), which are lower than the usual Western cut-offs. Participants at 19 sites were randomly assigned two-to-one to semaglutide or placebo, both with lifestyle advice.
What was found
Weight fell by 12.1% on semaglutide against 2.2% on placebo, and 80.5% versus 24.4% lost at least 5% of their body weight. Adverse events, mostly gastrointestinal, were reported by 87.6% on semaglutide and 75.3% on placebo.
What it doesn’t tell us
A relatively small, 44-week trial funded by the manufacturer. It applies to East Asian adults at a lower BMI than most semaglutide trials, and doesn’t address what happens after stopping.