Ozempic Timeline: Week by Week, What Changes and When
STEP 1 ran 68 weeks. By the end, people on semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly had lost 14.9% of their body weight on average, against 2.4% on placebo. Side effects are most common in the first weeks and after each dose increase.
- Average loss, top dose
- 14.9%
- On placebo
- 2.4%
- Trial length
- 68 weeks
- Trial
- STEP 1
Ozempic in brief
A half-life of about 1 week means the amount falls by half in 7 d. After five half-lives (35 d), about 3% remains.
During 30 weeks of SUSTAIN 1, people with type 2 diabetes lost 4.7 kg, compared with 1.2 kg on placebo.
The maker's price page gives monthly US dollar price points for both list prices and self-pay offers.
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed), healthsystemtracker.org, prnewswire.com 1 2.
Ozempic timeline: the numbers first
Testing Ozempic mainly examined blood sugar. Wegovy provides the weight-trial results shown here. It uses the same medicine, but at a higher dose.
| 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 | This group included adults with type 2 diabetes and either obesity or overweight |
For source details, see STEP 1 (FDA label (DailyMed)) and STEP 2 (PubMed).
The average, explained in pounds
Three starting weights were used with the 14.9% average from the trial. These figures use arithmetic only and do not predict any single person's result. Results vary: some people lose more, while others lose less.
| Starting weight | Average loss on semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly | Average loss on placebo |
|---|---|---|
| 180 lb | about 27 lb | about 4 lb |
| 220 lb | about 33 lb | about 5 lb |
| 260 lb | about 39 lb | about 6 lb |
Sources: FDA label (DailyMed).
Week by week
- Stomach side effects are most common in the first weeks, when the dose is low and rising. After each dose increase, they often come back for a few days.
- STEP 1 concludes at Week 68. The average loss shown above was measured at that point.
Sources: health.clevelandclinic.org and PubMed.