Early weight loss with liraglutide 3.0 mg is a good predictor of clinically meaningful weight loss after 56 weeks

This subgroup analysis of SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes and SCALE Diabetes reports key outcomes in adults achieving ≥5% WL from baseline at Week (W) 16 on liraglutide 3.0 mg (early responders; ER), compared to those who did not (early non-responders; ENR).

2910 adults (2487 without T2D, 423 with T2D) were randomised to liraglutide 3.0 mg with diet & exercise (D&E); 365 with T2D and 2159 without T2D completed to 16W. Efficacy data (LS means/estimated proportions) are for 56W completers.

67.5% of W16 completers without T2D were ER to liraglutide 3.0 mg; mean W56 WL was 11.5%. Proportions of ER with ≥5%, > 10% and > 15% WL at W56 were 88.2%, 54.8% and 24.2%, respectively. ENR without T2D achieved mean W56 WL of 3.8%; 36.9%, 8.3% and 1.8% achieved ≥5%, > 10% and > 15% WL, respectively. 50.4% of W16 completers with T2D were ER to liraglutide 3.0 mg; mean W56 WL was 9.3%. At W56, 80.1%, 44.6% and 11.6% of ER achieved ≥5%, > 10% and > 15% WL, respectively. ENR with T2D achieved mean W56 WL of 3.6%, and 33.3%, 5.8% and 1.3% achieved ≥5%, > 10% and > 15% WL, respectively. Across trials, 93.4% of ENR failed to achieve ≥10% W56 WL. Overall safety was comparable between groups but in those without T2D, rates of hepatobiliary disorders appeared higher in ER than ENR.

Those failing to reach ≥5% WL at W16 are unlikely to reach ≥10% at W56. ER to liraglutide 3.0 mg, as adjunct to D&E, with and without T2D achieved mean W56 WL of 9.3% and 11.5%, respectively.