Oral Semaglutide Shows Superior Efficacy and Safety for Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic condition characterized by high blood sugar, often requiring lifelong management. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are highly effective treatments, but most are administered via injection, which can be a barrier for many patients. This global trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an oral formulation of semaglutide compared to injectable liraglutide and placebo in individuals with T2DM.

The study demonstrated that oral semaglutide significantly improved glycemic control and reduced body weight compared to both placebo and liraglutide. Specifically, the 14 mg oral semaglutide group achieved an average HbA1c reduction of 1.5% from baseline, which was significantly greater than the 0.3% reduction seen with placebo (p<0.001) and superior to the 1.1% reduction with liraglutide (p<0.01). Patients receiving 14 mg oral semaglutide experienced a mean body weight loss of 4.5 kg, substantially more than the 1.0 kg loss in the placebo group and the 3.0 kg loss in the liraglutide group (p<0.001 for both comparisons). The safety profile was consistent with other GLP-1 receptor agonists, with gastrointestinal adverse events (e.g., nausea, diarrhea) being the most common, reported in ~40% of semaglutide recipients, generally mild to moderate in severity and transient. The 7 mg oral semaglutide dose also showed significant, albeit lesser, improvements in HbA1c (1.2% reduction) and weight loss (3.2 kg).