The short answer
Liraglutide added weight loss in a trial with frequent behavioral-support visits. The results describe that combination.
What was tested?
SCALE IBT randomized 282 adults with obesity, without diabetes, to daily liraglutide 3 mg or placebo for 56 weeks.
Everyone was offered 23 brief counseling visits covering eating, activity and behavior change. Attendance was high.
Percent of starting weight; both groups offered 23 counseling visits
Original visual based on the study.
| Group or measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Liraglutide 3 mg daily | 7.5% |
| Placebo | 4.0% |
What changed?
Estimated average weight loss was 7.5% with liraglutide plus counseling, versus 4.0% with placebo plus counseling. The adjusted difference was 3.4 percentage points.
About 62% versus 39% lost at least 5% of starting weight. These analyses included participants who stopped medication, with missing outcomes estimated.
What were the trade-offs?
Digestive side effects affected 71% versus 49%. Adverse events led to treatment discontinuation in 8.5% versus 4.3%. Serious events occurred in 4.2% versus 1.4%; these small numbers do not establish causation.
The takeaway
The support surrounding treatment matters when interpreting a headline result. Because both groups received counseling, this study cannot determine the benefit of counseling itself or how many visits are needed.
Novo Nordisk sponsored the trial and contributed to its design and analysis.