At baseline in all trials, mean hemoglobin A1c levels were similar, ranging from 8% to 8.4%; weights at baseline were a mean 89.6 kg to 96.2 kg across the trials.
The range of reductions in HbA1c was similar across racial and ethnic groups. “If you look at the proportion of patients who actually achieved an A1c below 7[%], it’s pretty impressive – it’s between 70% to 80%.” Between 50% and 60% of patients reached an HbA1c less than 6.5%, said Dr. Desouza.
Looking at the data another way, 62.2%-72.4% of patients saw an HbA1c reduction of at least 1% on low-dose semaglutide; the range across ethnicities was 74.2%-87.1% on high-dose semaglutide. Dr. Desouza said that the sample sizes weren’t large enough to calculate statistical significance for these subgroup differences.
“But I think what is impressive is that over 50% of patients in all the races and ethnicities were able to achieve a 5% body weight loss, which is metabolically significant in terms of improving outcomes,” he said. “I think that’s a really important fact.” A smaller proportion – around 20% – lost at least 10% of body weight, mostly on high-dose semaglutide.