Novo Nordisk’s experimental CagriSema produced an estimated 25% average weight loss in women at 68 weeks, assuming continued treatment.
A separate analysis found substantial weight loss before, during, and after menopause.
The once-weekly injection remains under FDA review, with a decision expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Drugs treating obesity appear to be the new frontier in the pharmaceutical industry.
Novo Nordisk reports its investigational obesity drug CagriSema helped women lose an estimated quarter of their body weight over 68 weeks in a new analysis of its REDEFINE 1 clinical trial.
The analysis included 2,309 women across treatment groups. Estimated weight loss was 25% with CagriSema versus 3% with placebo. For someone starting at 220 pounds, a 25% reduction would equal 55 pounds.
The findings, presented at The Menopause Society’s annual meeting, assume participants continued treatment without using other weight-loss therapies. They are exploratory results from an existing trial.
Building on semaglutide
CagriSema combines semaglutide, the ingredient in Wegovy, with cagrilintide, an investigational amylin analog. The original trial enrolled 3,417 adults without diabetes and tested the medications alongside lifestyle changes.
Across women and men, average weight loss was 20.4% when researchers included results regardless of treatment adherence, according to the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. That broader result should be distinguished from the new women-only estimate.
In the menopause analysis, estimated losses were 26.7% before menopause, 24.8% during perimenopause, and 23.1% after menopause. Researchers assigned menopause categories retrospectively; the findings do not establish that reproductive stage caused the differences.
Side effects
Side effects remain part of the treatment picture. In the overall trial, gastrointestinal problems affected 79.6% of CagriSema recipients versus 39.9% receiving placebo. These included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain, and were generally temporary and mild to moderate.
CagriSema is not FDA-approved. Novo submitted its application in December 2025.