Trevogrumab may reduce muscle loss during semaglutide weight loss

A phase 2 clinical trial suggests that the experimental drug trevogrumab may help mitigate the loss of lean muscle mass often associated with semaglutide-based weight loss treatments. Data presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes conference in Milan indicates that adding trevogrumab to semaglutide significantly reduces muscle depletion in adults with obesity.

In one study segment, participants taking semaglutide alone lost approximately 6.6% of their lean mass over 26 weeks. The addition of trevogrumab reduced this loss to between 3.4% and 3.9% depending on the dose. MRI scans of thigh muscle showed that trevogrumab could reduce muscle-volume loss by roughly 69% to 72% compared to semaglutide alone at the 52-week mark.

While a combination of trevogrumab and another experimental drug, garetosmab, showed even greater muscle preservation, it was associated with more serious side effects, including muscle spasms and two deaths, though a causal link was not definitively established. Trevogrumab alone was generally well-tolerated, with a safety profile similar to semaglutide plus a placebo.