Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B (NVO.US) expands its weight loss drug to younger markets: The STEP Young trial shows that semaglutide significantly reduces obesity rates in children.

Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B (NVO.US) announced on Monday that in a late-stage clinical trial, if participating children fully adhered to the treatment regimen, the active ingredient in its blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovysemaglutidecould enable obese children aged 6 to under 12 to no longer be classified as obese after 68 weeks in 40.4% of cases. Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B stated in its announcement that all subjects enrolled in the trial, named STEP Young, received lifestyle interventions throughout the study period, including reduced caloric intake and increased physical activity. Martin Holst Lange, Chief Scientific Officer of Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B, said, The positive results from the STEP Young trial are encouraging, and we are optimistic about the potential of semaglutide to help children with obesitywho require pharmacological treatment in addition to lifestyle changes to more effectively manage their condition. Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B noted that the trial achieved its primary endpoint, with the group receiving weekly subcutaneous injections of semaglutide showing a significantly greater reduction in body mass index (BMI) at 68 weeks compared to the placebo group. The company added that the overall safety and tolerability of semaglutide were consistent with the results observed in previous trials involving adults and adolescents. Notably, a study released last Friday showed that despite GLP-1 weight-loss medications not yet being approved for children under 12, prescriptions for such medications in this age group in the United States have surged more than 300-fold since 2019.