Novo Nordisk announced that its experimental weight-loss drug CagriSema showed better blood sugar control than the company’s current GLP-1 therapy, Wegovy (semaglutide), in a Phase III clinical trial. The study, called REIMAGINE 2, included more than 2,700 adults with type 2 diabetes and compared weekly injections of CagriSema to semaglutide alone, cagrilintide alone, and placebo.
After 68 weeks of treatment with a 2.4-mg dose of CagriSema, patients experienced an average reduction in HbA1c—a key measure of blood sugar—of 1.91 percentage points. This compared to a reduction of 1.76 percentage points for those on semaglutide and an increase of 0.09 percentage points for those on placebo.
According to Novo Nordisk, “CagriSema’s treatment benefit was significantly stronger than semaglutide’s.”
The investigational drug also led to greater weight loss than semaglutide: patients lost an average of 14.2% of their body weight at week 68 compared to a loss of 10.2% in the semaglutide group. Novo noted that there was no sign yet that the weight loss effect had plateaued at the time data were reported.
However, these results fell short of Novo Nordisk’s previously stated goal for CagriSema: analysts at William Blair wrote in June 2025 that the company had set a target for placebo-adjusted weight loss at around 25%, which has not been achieved so far.
Previous studies have shown similar trends; in December 2024, the REDEFINE 1 trial found CagriSema resulted in a body weight drop of about 22.7% after 68 weeks versus only a small decrease for placebo recipients. Another study released in March 2025 reported a lower figure: about a 15.7% reduction compared to placebo.
Despite not reaching its ambitious benchmark, Novo Nordisk submitted an application to the FDA in December seeking approval for CagriSema as a treatment for obesity or overweight patients with related health conditions. The company said it plans to file for use in diabetes as well once further data are available from ongoing trials testing the drug's effects on type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
“[CagriSema] could be the first amylin-based combination therapy for weight-loss and type 2 diabetes on the market,” Martin Holst Lange, chief scientific officer at Novo Nordisk, said Monday.
CagriSema combines two agents: semaglutide (a GLP-1 receptor agonist) and cagrilintide (a long-acting amylin analog). In addition to its current research efforts, Novo is conducting another head-to-head study comparing CargiSema directly with Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide; results are expected later this quarter.
