People who stayed on a 7.2 milligram weekly dose of semaglutide lost around 20% of their body weight over 72 weeks.

Novo Nordisk said a higher dose of its drug Wegovy led to greater weight loss in patients during a late-stage trial, but the results fell short of the weight loss achieved with Eli Lilly's rival drug Zepbound,

The White House on Friday said Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic were among the 15 medications picked for a round of price negotiations with Medicare. The companies do not have to negotiate, but if they don’t, they face fines or the possible end of Medicare reimbursements.

Federal officials are targeting the blockbuster drugs as part of their ongoing initiative to lower drug costs.

The Biden administration announced Friday that Ozempic, Wegovy and 13 additional drugs will now be covered under Medicare Part-D for price negotiations, the next round of negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act passed by President Joe Biden in 2022.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra says “this is a big deal.” Drug companies oppose the program.

Novo Nordisk said patients taking a bigger dose of its blockbuster obesity drug lost more weight than those on a lower dose, without experiencing an increase in side effects.