A new drug developed by U.S. pharmaceutical company Regeneron may help address one of the most concerning side effects of weight loss medications like Wegovy: muscle loss.
In a mid-stage clinical trial involving 599 participants, Regeneron’s drug, trevogrumab, showed promising results when combined with Wegovy. While Wegovy alone led to significant fat loss, it also resulted in an average muscle loss of 7.9 pounds. However, participants who took both Wegovy and trevogrumab lost only 3.7 pounds of muscle, while shedding more fat overall.
This combination helped patients lose up to 11.3% of their body weight, compared to 10.4% for those taking Wegovy alone.
If future trials confirm these results, trevogrumab could become the first effective add-on therapy to mitigate muscle loss from GLP-1 weight-loss treatments like Wegovy and Ozempic—a development hailed by some researchers as a potential medical breakthrough.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has indicated that for such add-on therapies to gain approval, they must demonstrate either additional weight loss or clear functional benefits, such as improved strength.
Regeneron is also testing a triple combination of Wegovy, trevogrumab, and another antibody, garetosmab. This mix led to the greatest weight loss—13.2% of body weight—but also showed the highest rate of side effects. About 28% of participants in this group discontinued treatment, and two deaths were reported. It is not yet known if those deaths are linked to the treatment.
While the early findings are encouraging, experts stress that more data is needed on safety, long-term effects, and the drug’s impact on physical strength before regulatory approval is considered.
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy, told UNILAD that existing data do not indicate a disproportionate loss of lean body mass from semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, and that no related safety signals have been observed. The company said it continues to monitor safety data and collaborate with regulatory agencies to ensure patient well-being.
Why it matters: Losing muscle during weight loss can significantly affect long-term health, especially in older adults. A drug that helps preserve muscle while enhancing fat loss could be a major advancement in obesity treatment.
Pump Radar
Stock Alerts
