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Study decoded · health · Emerging
Investigational Weekly Shot Cuts Body Weight 9.8% In Diabetes Trial
9.8% weight loss752 adults76 weeksGut side effects common
An investigational weekly injectable called survodutide produced up to 9.8% body weight loss over 76 weeks in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to a phase 3 trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The SYNCHRONIZE-2 trial randomly assigned 752 adults with type 2 diabetes and a body mass index of 27 or higher to one of three weekly subcutaneous injections for 76 weeks: 3.6 mg survodutide, 6.0 mg survodutide, or placebo, a matching injection with no active drug. Participants averaged 55.7 years old and a BMI of 36.5, and 49.3% were men. Average weight change was -8.2% in the 3.6-mg group, -9.8% in the 6.0-mg group, and -3.9% with placebo. At least 5% weight loss occurred in 57.6% of the 3.6-mg group, 64.5% of the 6.0-mg group, and 35.1% on placebo. Average blood sugar control, measured by glycated hemoglobin (a three-month blood sugar average starting at 7.4%), improved by 0.9 percentage points in the 3.6-mg group and 0.8 points in the 6.0-mg group, versus 0.2 points with placebo. Gut-related side effects, generally described as mild to moderate and temporary, occurred in 72.8% of the 3.6-mg group, 77.7% of the 6.0-mg group, and 38.6% on placebo.
Survodutide is designed to activate two separate hormone receptors at once: the GLP-1 receptor, which slows digestion and reduces appetite, and the glucagon receptor, which is involved in how the body burns stored fat and sugar for energy. The trial's two primary outcomes were percent weight change and the share of people who lost at least 5% of their body weight; blood sugar was measured as a secondary outcome.
Weight loss at 76 weeks: 9.8% vs 3.9% with placebo
Data Panel
- Who
- 752 adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity, BMI 27 or higher, average age 55.7, 49.3% men
- Design
- Multinational, double-blind, phase 3 randomized trial, three groups, 76 weeks
- Dose
- Once-weekly subcutaneous survodutide, 3.6 mg or 6.0 mg, versus placebo injection
- Primary result
- Weight change at 76 weeks: -8.2% (3.6 mg), -9.8% (6.0 mg), -3.9% (placebo)
- Secondary
- At least 5% weight loss: 57.6% (3.6 mg), 64.5% (6.0 mg), 35.1% (placebo). HbA1c change from 7.4% baseline: -0.9 points (3.6 mg), -0.8 points (6.0 mg), -0.2 points (placebo). Gastrointestinal adverse events: 72.8% (3.6 mg), 77.7% (6.0 mg), 38.6% (placebo)
- Funding / conflicts
- Funded by Boehringer Ingelheim; registered as SYNCHRONIZE-2, ClinicalTrials registry number NCT06066528
This drug is investigational and not FDA-approved. The trial was funded by Boehringer Ingelheim, the drug's maker, and registered as NCT06066528. Gastrointestinal side effects were common enough that nearly four in five people on the higher dose experienced them, though described as mostly mild and transient. Longer-term outcomes beyond 76 weeks, including whether weight loss holds after stopping treatment, were not reported here.
Dr. Axe's Take
This dual-hormone approach is worth watching, but it isn't available yet, so I wouldn't change anything today. For approved GLP-1-class medicines, I pair these with a whole-food diet, high protein, enough fiber and resistance training, so the weight lost comes from fat, not muscle. The side-effect numbers here are real: roughly three-quarters of people on the drug doses had gastrointestinal symptoms, so expect digestive adjustment and plan meals accordingly. Many people do well on a much lower dose, often 10 to 20% of the labeled dose, worked out with the prescribing doctor rather than adjusted on their own.
— Dr. Axe