Cagrilintide and CagriSema: Weight Loss and What Remission Means

What happened with weight?

REDEFINE 1 included 3,417 adults with overweight or obesity without diabetes. After 68 weeks, the analysis allowing for stopping treatment and use of additional treatment estimated average weight loss of 20.4% with CagriSema and 3.0% with placebo. Stomach and bowel adverse events were reported by 79.6% and 39.9% respectively. [1]

You may also have seen 22.7% versus 2.3%. Those figures estimate results if people continued treatment without additional intervention. [2] Both can belong to the same trial, but they answer different questions.

What does diabetes remission mean here?

The separate REIMAGINE 1 trial included 189 adults whose type 2 diabetes was not adequately controlled with diet and exercise. They had 40 weeks of treatment, then 12 weeks off it. [3]

The September review reports that 53% receiving CagriSema with 2.4 mg of each component met the study’s remission criteria, compared with 20% on placebo. Those doses identify the study comparison, not instructions for use. [4]

The test was HbA1c — a measure of blood sugar over time — below 6.5% without diabetes medicine. It was assessed after the off-treatment period, at week 52, rather than simply at week 40.

Remission does not mean a permanent cure or that follow-up can stop. The international consensus calls for continued monitoring. [5]

What I take from these results

They are meaningful findings, but they concern different people and outcomes. Both trials were funded by Novo Nordisk. The review helps explain them; it does not add another independent trial.

I still want answers about muscle, function and women at different life stages. These studies do not establish a menopause treatment or guarantee an individual woman’s result.