Ozempic Not Working? The Checklist, in Order
Results vary a lot by person. In STEP 1, the average loss on semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly was 14.9% over 68 weeks, against 2.4% on placebo. If you have lost little after several months on your full dose, talk to your prescriber.
- Average loss, top dose
- 14.9%
- On placebo
- 2.4%
- Trial length
- 68 weeks
- Trial
- STEP 1
A quick look at Ozempic
Its half-life is about 1 week. After 7 d, half has cleared; after five half-lives (35 d), about 3% remains.
In SUSTAIN 1 over 30 weeks, people with type 2 diabetes lost 4.7 kg, compared with 1.2 kg for placebo.
Monthly prices in US dollars include list prices and self-pay offers, all taken from the maker's price page.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.
Ozempic not working: the numbers first
Studies of Ozempic focused mainly on blood sugar. Wegovy, which is the same medicine at a higher dose, was studied in the weight trials shown here.
| Trial | Dose group | Average weight lost | Placebo or comparison | Weeks | Who was in it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEP 1 | Semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly | 14.9% | 2.4% | 68 | Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes |
| OASIS 4 | Wegovy pill 25 mg daily | 13.6% | 2.4% | 64 | Adults with obesity or overweight, without diabetes |
| STEP 2 | Semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly | 9.6% | 3.4% | 68 | Adults with obesity or overweight who also have type 2 diabetes |
Listed sources: STEP 1 (FDA label (DailyMed)), STEP 2 (PubMed).
The reasons it stalls and what helps
- Check your place in the dose steps. Every trial listed above found less weight loss at the lower doses.
- Over the past month, count every dose that you missed or took late.
- Keep a record of your food and drinks for a few days. As your portions get smaller, liquid calories and grazing build up.
- Include protein with each meal and keep up your strength exercise. That way most of what you lose is fat.
- Look at your sleep and stress levels, because both affect appetite.
- Check with your pharmacist whether your other medicines could cause weight gain.
- Ask your prescriber about thyroid or blood sugar tests and about changing medicines when months pass with no change.
How many of the people stopped in the trials
Sources: STEP 1 (FDA label (DailyMed)), STEP 1 (PubMed).