medwireNews: The US FDA has granted approval for the use of semaglutide at a dose of 2.4 mg/week for the treatment of obesity in children aged 12 years or older with a BMI in the 95th percentile or higher for their age and sex.
The announcement follows findings from the STEP TEENS trial which demonstrated substantial weight loss with the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist compared with placebo.
Semaglutide 2.4 mg has previously been approved for use in adults with a BMI above 30 kg/m2 and those with a BMI above 27 kg/m2 and a weight-related comorbidity, such as type 2 diabetes or hypertension.
The agent carries a black box warning against its use in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2.
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