Many patients may keep off lost pounds after stopping a GLP-1, U.S. data suggests – CTV
January 22, 2026
Many patients using highly effective GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy may not regain lost weight quickly when they stop treatment, according to an analysis of real-world data shared with Reuters that sheds light on a chief concern about the therapies.
Among thousands of patients treated at a large network of U.S. academic medical clinics, most had kept the weight off or lost even more 18 months after stopping semaglutide, sold by Novo Nordisk as Ozempic and Wegovy, or tirzepatide, sold by Eli Lilly as Mounjaro and Zepbound, researchers from data analytics firm nference found.
Their data runs counter to findings by Novo, based on the Danish drugmaker’s clinical trials, that caution many patients will soon regain lost weight if treatment is interrupted.
Obesity specialists have questioned whether people will need to use these medicines for years to maintain the benefits.
“The implication of our real-world evidence is not that rebound risk is negligible, but rather that durability is achievable in routine care,” nference Chief Scientific Officer Venky Soundararajan told Reuters.
