PubMed17 Apr 2026The lancet. Diabetes & endocrinology● 7/10i Efficacy and safety of co-administered cagrilintide and semaglutide versus semaglutide alone in adults with overweight or obesity with or without type 2 diabetes in Japan and Taiwan (REDEFINE 5): a multicentre, randomised, active-controlled, phase 3a trial.
Yamauchi T, Becker NP, Hagemann CA, Huang KC, Kiyosue A et al.
Cagrilintide-semaglutide combination achieved 18.4% weight loss versus 11.9% with semaglutide alone in 331 adults with overweight or obesity in Japan and Taiwan, a 6.5 percentage point difference. Double-blind phase 3a trial over 68 weeks with similar safety profiles between groups. This provides the first head-to-head data for Novo Nordisk's CagriSema combination in an Asian population, supporting global development ahead of ongoing pivotal trials. Asian-specific efficacy data will be important for regulatory submissions given known differences in BMI thresholds and metabolic responses in this population.
Strategic Signal
Asian-specific efficacy data strengthens Novo Nordisk's global regulatory package for CagriSema, addressing FDA and regional regulators' requirements for population-specific evidence. The 18.4% weight loss positions CagriSema competitively against Eli Lilly's retatrutide in ongoing phase 3 trials, particularly in Asian markets where BMI thresholds differ from Western guidelines. Japan and Taiwan represent high-value obesity markets where demonstration of efficacy using local BMI criteria supports premium pricing and formulary positioning.
Original Abstract
BACKGROUND: The combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide has been shown in global studies to induce reductions in bodyweight. We assessed the efficacy and safety of a fixed-dose combination of cagrilintide 2·4 mg and semaglutide 2·4 mg versus semaglutide 2·4 mg for weight management in an east Asian population. METHODS: This double-blind, parallel-group, phase 3a trial (REDEFINE 5) was conducted across 21 sites (community, hospital) in Japan and one site in Taiwan. We included participants aged at least 18 years with a BMI of at least 27 kg/m2 and at least two obesity-related complications, or with a BMI of at least 35 kg/m2 and at least one obesity-related complication (per the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity guidelines), with or without type 2 diabetes. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to once-weekly subcutaneous injections of cagrilintide-semaglutide or semaglutide (both escalated to 2·4 mg), plus lifestyle intervention, for 68 weeks. Randomisation was done centrally using an interactive web response system and stratified according to planned CT scan, BMI of at least 35 kg/m2, and type 2 diabetes status. Participants, site staff, investigators, and study funder were all masked to active study treatments. The primary endpoint was relative change in bodyweight from baseline to week 68. Efficacy analyses were done in all participants who underwent randomisation, using the trial product estimand (ie, assuming the treatment was taken as intended, regardless of dose) as the primary estimand. Missing data at week 68 were imputed. Safety analyses were done in all participants who underwent randomisation and received at least one dose of trial product. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05813925) and is complete. FINDINGS: Between April 3, 2023, and Sept 15, 2023, we screened 355 individuals; 331 were randomly assigned to cagrilintide-semaglutide (n=164) or semaglutide (n=167). 226 (68%) participants were male and 105 (32%) were female; 80 (24%) had type 2 diabetes. 17 (10%) participants discontinued cagrilintide-semaglutide and ten (6%) discontinued semaglutide. The estimated mean change in bodyweight from baseline to week 68 was -18·4% (SE 0·7) in the cagrilintide-semaglutide group versus -11·9% (0·7) in the semaglutide group (estimated treatment difference [ETD] -6·5 percentage points [95% CI -8·4 to -4·6]; p<0·0001). Adverse events were reported by 143 (87%) of 164 participants in the cagrilintide-semaglutide group and 141 (84%) of 167 in the semaglutide group, the most common of which were gastrointestinal disorders (87 [53%] of 164 participants in the cagrilintide-semaglutide group vs 85 [51%] of 167 in the semaglutide group). One death was reported in the semaglutide 2·4 mg group, which was not judged to be treatment related by the investigator. INTERPRETATION: These findings support the efficacy and safety of cagrilintide-semaglutide for weight management in individuals from east Asia with overweight or obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes. FUNDING: Novo Nordisk. TRANSLATIONS: For the Japanese and Mandarin translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.