ObesityWeek
ObesityWeek 2025: Biweekly GLP-1 dosing preserves weight loss and metabolic gains after de-escalation
De-escalating GLP-1 therapy to every-other-week dosing maintained weight loss and metabolic improvements for most patients, offering a practical approach to reduce cost, drug exposure, and supply strain. The findings were presented at ObesityWeek 2025.
Study details: This retrospective chart review included 31 adults with obesity and metabolic syndrome who achieved normalized weight and/or metabolic parameters on weekly semaglutide or tirzepatide. Patients transitioned to biweekly dosing and were followed for an average of 32 weeks. Outcomes included weight, BP, and metabolic labs (hemoglobin A1c, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein).
Results: At the time of GLP-1 initiation, patients had an average BMI of 31. Initial weekly dosing reduced weight by 12.3 kg (−14%, P<0.001). During biweekly maintenance, patients lost an additional 1.3 kg (−2%, P<0.05). Prevalence of metabolic syndrome dropped from 79% at baseline to 35% post-weekly dosing and remained stable at 39% during maintenance. Only 5 of 31 patients reverted to weekly dosing due to weight regain.
Source:
Wu A, et al. “Half-frequency GLP1 De-escalation Maintains Weight and Metabolic Syndrome Improvements” ObesityWeek 2025. https://tos.planion.com/Web.User/AbstractDet?ACCOUNT=TOS&ABSID=1437559&CONF=OW2025&ssoOverride=OFF&CKEY=E49C97115