--- title: "Semaglutide So Effective at Treating Arthritis That Patients Were “More or Less Were Treated Out of the Study”" description: "In a groundbreaking new study, Ozempic was found to be so effective at treating arthritis that people no longer needed treatment." date: "2024-11-02" modified: "2024-11-02" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/semaglutide-arthritis-study-success" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Studies" tags: - "arthritis" - "glp-1" - "ozempic" - "semaglutide" --- # Semaglutide So Effective at Treating Arthritis That Patients Were “More or Less Were Treated Out of the Study” ![In a groundbreaking new study, Ozempic was found to be so effective at treating arthritis that people no longer needed treatment.]() *\Image: PhotoAlto/Odilon Dimier/Getty Images\* In an intriguing new study, the active ingredient in Ozempic was found to be so effective at treating arthritis that participants no longer needed treatment by the end of the experiment. In writeups of the new research [in the journal *Nature*]() and the [*New York Times*](), experts waxed prolific about the landmark new semaglutide study that saw marked improvements to knee osteoarthritis in trials conducted in 11 countries. Dr. Bob Carter, the deputy director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases who was not involved in the new study [published this week in the *New England Journal of Medicine*](), said that the improvements in knee pain in the overweight arthritic trial patents were incredible. "The magnitude of the improvement is of a scope we haven’t seen before with a drug," Carter told the *NYT*. "They had an almost 50 percent reduction in their knee pain. That’s huge." Danish rheumatologist and lead trial director Henning Bliddal told *Nature* that by the end of the trial, many patients experienced such improvement in their knee arthritis that they were no longer eligible for the study. "They got a therapy that was so effective that they more or less were treated out of the study," said Bliddal, who works at the Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark's capital. While it's well-established that [losing weight can help improve knee arthritis]() by essentially taking some of the load off the affected area, the findings are particularly promising due in part to the difficulty exercising people with intense knee pain experience. In the study — which it's worth noting was [sponsored by Ozempic and Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk]() — 400 patients on five continents were given weekly injections of either a placebo or semaglutide. All of those patients, *Nature* explains, were considered obese and had an average score of 71 on a pain scale from one to 100, which made it hurt for them to walk. Unsurprisingly, the patients taking the active semaglutide lost way more weight than their placebo counterparts — but they also experienced dramatic reductions in their pain scales, with an average drop of 42 points as compared to the placebo group's 28. They also experienced more ease of everyday mobility too, such as in climbing stairs. While the paper's authors note that many of those improvements were due to taking weight off the affected knees, they also postulate that [semaglutide's known anti-inflammatory effects]() played a role as well. Despite these auspicious findings, the study's lead trial director is worried that once people go off semaglutide-based drugs, the weight regain may also bring back some of the associated arthritis pain. "Do these guys go on with semaglutide forever?" Bliddal asked when speaking to *Nature.* Right now, it's hard to say — but if nothing else, this is [another feather in the cap]() of these [seemingly world-changing drugs](). **More on off-label semaglutide uses**: [*Ozempic Could Be Used to Treat Alcohol and Drug Addiction, Study Finds*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()