A new study from Aarhus University finds that 49 percent of Danish Wegovy users stopped the weight loss treatment within their first year, with cost and side effects given as the main reasons.
The study looked at everyone in Denmark who started Wegovy from its market launch in December 2022 until the end of 2024. DR reports that 49 percent had stopped before the first year was over.
Reimar W. Thomsen, professor and consultant at Aarhus University Hospital, is one of the researchers behind the study. He told DR that relatively many patients quit after a short period, mainly because of side effects and the high price of treatment.
According to BT, the cohort covered 157,822 first-time Wegovy users in Denmark. DR notes that just under 300,000 Danes have used the drug since it became available.
Weight returns after stopping
Thomsen said the spread of Wegovy may have gone too fast. Per DR, many patients expect the drug to be a short kickstart to weight loss that they can then manage alone.
He said the evidence shows appetite returns strongly once the medication stops, followed by weight gain. According to Thomsen, around 90 percent regain most of the weight within a couple of years.
He also pointed to a health risk in losing weight and regaining it quickly. Patients risk adding fat mass relative to the muscle mass they lost, leaving a less healthy body composition.
Thomas Voss, a general practitioner in Låsby between Aarhus and Silkeborg, prescribes the medication at his clinic. About five percent of his patients are on it, and he prepares them carefully before treatment begins, as reported by DR.
Voss said using Wegovy as a diet works as badly as a diet. He tells patients that this is not a treatment that can simply be stopped again. Patients who are slightly overweight but otherwise healthy are advised against starting.
Income and price
The Aarhus University study also found that people with low incomes were more common among those who stopped. Thomsen called that concerning, and said it can seem unfair that those with the greatest need cannot afford treatment.
He urged Novo Nordisk to lower the price so more of those patients can get the medicine. The company declined an interview with DR and would not say whether the price will be reduced.
In a written reply, Novo Nordisk said it would welcome public subsidies for Wegovy for people living with severe obesity in Denmark. The company stressed that severe obesity is complex and that there is no single solution for everyone.
Novo Nordisk added that a weight loss plan should be arranged individually with a health professional. It may combine medical treatment, physical activity, diet, and guidance. BT notes the findings align with earlier reporting that weight can return after GLP-1 treatment ends.
