A weekly semaglutide shot helped people with obesity and knee pain from arthritis feel a lot better—much more than those who got a dummy shot.

A weekly shot called semaglutide helped people with obesity and bad knee arthritis lose way more weight—about 13.7% of their body weight—compared to a fake shot that only led to 3.2% loss, and that weight loss might help their joint pain feel better.

People with obesity and knee arthritis who took a weekly semaglutide shot for over a year felt physically better than those who took a dummy shot — their ability to do everyday physical activities improved more, by about twice as much.

A diabetes drug called semaglutide might help slow down joint damage from osteoarthritis in people with metabolic issues, even beyond just losing weight.

When adults with obesity take a drug called semaglutide 2.4 mg for about 1.5 years, nearly 9 out of 10 lose at least 5% of their body weight — compared to only about 1 in 3 to half of those taking a sugar pill or another drug, meaning semaglutide works better for weight loss in most people.

Semaglutide, a medication used for weight management, may help protect joint cartilage and decrease inflammation in osteoarthritis even when it does not cause weight loss.