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Item refines Peer-reviewed Added

Semaglutide for obesity: two-thirds of new Wegovy users stopped within a year

Of 34,309 Clalit members without diabetes starting Wegovy in 2025, 67.6% had stopped by one year.

This retrospective cohort used Clalit Health Services records on 34,309 adults without diabetes starting Wegovy in January–May 2025. Discontinuation, inferred from dispensing gaps over 60 days and unconfirmed, reached 36.5% at 180 days and 67.6% at 365 days. Arab population sector (HR 1.65), low socioeconomic status (HR 1.13) and current smoking (HR 1.13) were associated with discontinuation. At day 90, staying on 0.25 mg versus 1.0 mg was associated with discontinuation (HR 1.88), attenuated by refill adherence. Each percentage-point smaller BMI reduction was associated with 3% higher discontinuation hazard (HR 1.03). Over a median 3.1 months, 8.6% of 33,936 eligible started tirzepatide, more often those with higher socioeconomic status and BMI.

Why it is interesting: In a large insurer cohort, two-thirds of people starting semaglutide for obesity had stopped within a year. Socioeconomic gradients in stopping semaglutide and starting tirzepatide suggest inequalities in sustained access to obesity pharmacotherapy.

Source
Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 29 October 2026
Paper
Early Treatment Trajectory and Long-Term Persistence to Semaglutide for Obesity: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors
Winter E, Wolff Sagy Y, Reges O, Feldhamer I, Abu Ahmad W, Arbel R et al.
DOI
10.1111/dom.71488
Type
Peer-reviewed article
Design
Retrospective population-based cohort, Clalit Health Services, 34,309 adults without diabetes initiating semaglutide Jan–May 2025, Cox models with Day-90 landmark; tirzepatide adoption from Dec 2025
Verdict
Refines prior evidence
Driver
Adherence and persistence
Driver
Obesity, diabetes and GLP-1
Free full text
Free to read at the publisher

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