Top Story: Obesity drug worked in children ages 6 to 12, study says, raising hopes and concerns

A new research study published in the New England Journal of Medicine and led by Dr. Claudia Fox, co-director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School, examined the effectiveness of weight loss drug liraglutide in children ages 6 to 12.

The trial found that daily injections of liraglutide, in combination with lifestyle intervention, decreased the body mass index (BMI) of children ages 6 to 12 with obesity by 5.8%. Children who did not receive injections of liraglutide experienced a BMI increase of 1.6%.

This study comes as the national conversation around obesity medications and use among young children continues. Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued guidance that kids aged 12 and older who struggle with obesity may be considered for weight loss drugs. For children under 12, current guidance continues to center around lifestyle changes in diet and exercise. The results of this study show promise for children with obesity who have not seen results from those intensive lifestyle changes. “We now have a viable treatment option for children who have obesity, for whom lifestyle therapy is simply insufficient,” said Dr. Fox.

See full coverage of Dr. Fox’s study by STAT. Additional coverage by CNN and Reuters.