Patients from Hospital da Luz Arrábida participated in the clinical trial of a new medication for obesity , carried out simultaneously in 73 hospital centres all over the world and who got very encouraging results. “There are very few pharmacological options in the market for the treatment of obesity and those few existing never achieve 10% of weight loss. Therefore, this is a very relevant advancement in the treatment of obesity”, explains Mariana Monteiro , Hospital da Luz Arrábida endocrinologist that coordinated the works of the clinical trial STEP 4. In the group of seven patients from Hospital da Luz Arrábida , there was even a participant who went far beyond that result: after 16 months, her weight loss was of 29 kg (corresponding to 33,4%). In this clinical trial at Hospital da Luz Arrábida, there were professionals involved from the areas of endocrinology, nutrition, nursing, cardio-pulmonology, laboratory and pharmacy. The clinical trial STEP 4: Consisted in the evaluation of efficacy, therapeutic benefit and safety of Semaglutide , a new molecule not yet available in the market, for the treatment of obesity; Was a stage III clinical trial, in which the experimental drug was compared with a placebo; Counted with the participation of 902 patients from 73 hospital centres in 10 countries . In Portugal, besides HL Arrábida, participated Hospital de Santo António, Centro Hospitalar de São João, Unidade Local de Saúde de Matosinhos, Hospital de Braga and Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Coimbra. Decisive for evolution in Medicine, clinical trials are the final stage in the process of development of a medication . The participation in clinical trials allows patients access to new treatments not yet approved, therefore not yet available in the market, but with high innovating potential. “Effect of continued weekly subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo on weight loss maintenance in adults with overweight or obesity: the STEP 4 randomized clinical trial”
