STEP UP is the Phase 3 trial program supporting Novo Nordisk's high-dose 7.2 mg once-weekly injectable semaglutide formulation, marketed in the US as Wegovy HD. The program's headline efficacy: 20.7% mean weight loss with the 7.2 mg dose in participants with obesity, with approximately one in three reaching ≥25% weight loss. The companion STEP UP T2D trial in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes produced 14.1% mean weight loss on the same dose.
STEP UP supported the US FDA approval of Wegovy HD in 2025 and the EMA CHMP positive opinion announced May 22, 2026 recommending EU approval, with Q3 2026 EU launch planned in a single-dose pen format. ECO 2026 (May 12) saw multiple STEP UP post-hoc analyses presented: 27% of 7.2 mg participants identified as early responders reached ≥15% weight loss by week 24 and went on to lose a mean 27.7% body weight at week 72; weight loss was consistent across menopausal stages (22.6% premenopausal, 19.7% perimenopausal, 19.8% postmenopausal) with reduced migraine and depression risk in the 34,000-woman real-world subgroup analyses.
Stories here cover STEP UP and STEP UP T2D trial readouts, post-hoc analyses, regulatory milestones, and the broader Wegovy HD commercial rollout. See #wegovy-hd, #semaglutide, and #novo-nordisk for adjacent threads.
Novo Nordisk announced May 22 that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) at the European Medicines Agency adopted a positive opinion recommending marketing authorization of Wegovy 7.2 mg in a single-dose pen for adults living with obesity. Wegovy 7.2 mg is the high-dose once-weekly injectable formulation already available in the US as Wegovy HD. The STEP UP Phase 3 trial demonstrated 20.7% mean weight loss with the 7.2 mg dose, with approximately one in three participants experiencing ≥25% weight loss; in the STEP UP T2D trial, the same dose produced 14.1% mean weight loss in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Novo expects to launch Wegovy 7.2 mg in the EU in Q3 2026. The CHMP opinion arrived the same day as the parallel positive recommendation for Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide 25 mg) — completing Novo's twin EU regulatory wins for the higher-dose injectable and the oral formulation simultaneously.
A post-hoc analysis of the Phase 3 STEP UP trial presented Tuesday May 12 at ECO 2026 identified an 'early responder' subgroup — patients who lost at least 15% body weight within the first 24 weeks. About 27% of patients on the higher-dose Wegovy 7.2 mg dose met that threshold vs 21% on the 2.4 mg dose and 3% on placebo. Early responders went on to lose a mean 27.7% body weight at week 72 (vs the 21% headline mean across all 7.2 mg patients). The analysis also confirmed that 84% of weight loss across both Wegovy doses came from fat mass, with muscle function preserved. The data sharpens the case for early-response-based dose decisions in the post-launch real-world workflow.
Novo Nordisk's Q1 print clarified that Wegovy HD (semaglutide 7.2 mg injection) — approved by the FDA in March and launched in the US on April 7 — is contributing to the premium-tier injectable mix alongside the standard 2.4 mg dose. The STEP UP trial showed 21% mean weight loss at 72 weeks if all patients stayed on treatment (19% regardless), with 89% on 7.2 mg achieving ≥5% body-weight reduction versus 38% with placebo. The label requires four-plus weeks of tolerability on semaglutide 2.4 mg before stepping up. NovoCare prices the 7.2 mg dose at $399/month self-pay and as low as $25 for many commercially insured patients via the savings offer. Dysesthesia at 22% on 7.2 mg vs. 6% on 2.4 mg and 0.3% on placebo is the only meaningful safety signal beyond the broader GLP-1 class.