Clinical Trial of Liraglutide for Obesity in Adolescence

Lifestyle modification is first-line therapy among youth with obesity but generally has poor results. In the search to identify safe and effective complementary therapies, researchers now report results of an industry-funded, phase III trial of liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide1-1 (GLP-1) analogue currently approved for weight loss in selected obese or overweight adults but not children or adolescents.

Participants aged 12 to 17 years were randomized to a 56-week course of daily subcutaneous liraglutide (3 mg or maximum tolerated dose; n=125) or placebo (n=126), in addition to lifestyle therapy (i.e., dietary counseling and physical activity). Participants had not responded positively to lifestyle therapy alone.

At week 56, the liraglutide…