A weekly injection of semaglutide in patients with obesity and knee osteoarthritis led to weight loss and reduced knee pain, a study found.

The 68-week trial, results of which were published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed mean body weight dropping 13.7% and mean pain scores falling to 41.7 points from a mean of 70.9 on a 100-point scale. Participants on the placebo lost 3.2% in body weight and 27.5 points on the pain scale.

The trial was designed and sponsored by Novo Nordisk, makers of Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus.

The study authors noted that weight loss was the likely reason for the lessening of knee pain.

“The trial was not designed to investigate the mechanism of action of semaglutide on knee osteoarthritis, so mechanistic conclusions cannot be drawn. Weight reduction is most likely a major contributor, as a result of reduced mechanical stress on the knee joints; previous studies have shown that weight reduction through various strategies can lead to considerable alleviation of knee pain and joint stiffness,” they wrote. 

They also noted that patients’ use of analgesics declined during the trial, confirming that the reduced pain was from the semaglutide, not increased use of painkillers.

There were 407 participants in the study, 271 of whom received a 2.4-mg weekly dose of semaglutide and 136, a placebo. More than 81 percent of the participants were women.