The weight loss injection liraglutide, branded as Saxenda, effectively reduced body mass index (BMI) in children and was more effective than lifestyle interventions in a small phase 3 trial involving 82 children.1
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and funded by the manufacturer Novo Nordisk, saw children aged 6-11 randomly allocated in a 2:1 ratio to either the liraglutide group (a 3 mg, once daily injection) or the placebo plus lifestyle intervention group.
The participants were tracked over a 56 week treatment period, with researchers assessing changes in their body weight and BMI. A BMI reduction of at least 5% occurred in 46% of the children in the liraglutide group but in only 9% of participants in the placebo group (adjusted odds ratio 6.3 (95% confidence interval …
