Obesity drugs for children and teens are a newer and more cautious field than the adult market. The FDA cleared semaglutide (Wegovy) for teens 12 and older in 2022, and drugmakers are now testing GLP-1 drugs in younger children.
Novo Nordisk's Phase 3 STEP Young trial gave semaglutide plus diet and exercise to 165 children aged 6 to under 12. At week 68, 40.4% of those on the drug no longer met the definition of obesity, compared with none on placebo, Novo said on September 7, 2026. Later that month, China's Sciwind reported that ecnoglutide lowered BMI by 11.2% to 12.6% over 20 weeks in a 48-person Phase 1b trial in teens aged 12 to 17.
On October 7, 2026, the World Health Organization issued its first guidelines on obesity in children and in teens. They strongly advise against weight-loss medicines for children under 10. For ages 10 to 19, they suggest medicines only for teens with obesity-related complications, and only after at least six months of a supervised lifestyle program has failed.
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Among more than 1.4 million U.S. adolescents in health records from 2017 to 2025 who met guideline criteria for metabolic and bariatric surgery, fewer than 1% had surgery and 4.6% received at least one GLP-1 prescription, Northwestern Medicine researchers reported in JAMA Pediatrics. GLP-1 prescribing rose about 35-fold, from 301 to 10,676 per 100,000 eligible teens, but by late 2025 90.4% had received neither treatment, and privately insured teens got GLP-1 prescriptions at 2.4 times the rate of uninsured or self-pay patients.
The World Health Organization published its first guidelines on managing obesity in children and in adolescents on October 7, 2026. For children up to age 9, it makes a strong recommendation against weight-loss medicines, based on low-quality evidence. For ages 10 to 19, it conditionally suggests medicines only for teens who have obesity-related complications, such as type 2 diabetes or uncontrolled high blood pressure, and whose weight has not improved after a supervised diet, exercise, and behavior program lasting at least six months; treatment should be given by a specialist team with long-term follow-up. WHO's evidence review found mostly short trials and noted that teens taking GLP-1 drugs or orlistat stopped more often because of side effects.
Sciwind Biosciences reported at EASD on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 a Phase 1b, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of ecnoglutide, its cAMP-biased GLP-1 receptor agonist approved in China for adults, in 48 adolescents aged 12 to 17 with obesity whose BMI had fallen less than 5% after at least 12 weeks of diet and exercise. After 20 weeks on 1.2, 1.8, or 2.4 mg, BMI fell 11.2% to 12.6% and body weight 10.4% to 12.1%, versus 0.0% and a 1.2% gain on placebo. There were no treatment-related serious adverse events, most side effects were mild, transient gastrointestinal reactions, and drug exposure resembled that in adults; Sciwind said a Phase 3 adolescent trial has begun.
Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) announced Monday September 7, 2026 first results from STEP Young, a Phase 3 randomized double-blind placebo-controlled multinational trial evaluating once-weekly semaglutide combined with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity in children aged 6 to under 12 years with obesity. The trial enrolled 165 children, dosed with a maximum of 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg semaglutide based on baseline weight. At week 68, 40.4% of the semaglutide group had a BMI below the obesity threshold versus 0% in the placebo group; more than 85% of enrolled children had class II or III severe obesity (BMI ≥35 or ≥40 by adult equivalents) at baseline. Safety and tolerability were consistent with adult and adolescent trials with no new safety concerns and no signals related to growth or pubertal development. Detailed results will be presented at ObesityWeek 2026 in Washington DC November 14-17. Wegovy is currently approved in the U.S. for adolescents 12 and older; a supplemental submission for children under 12 has not been announced.