Semaglutide was linked to weight loss in teens with craniopharyngioma
Original title: Semaglutide for Treating Paediatric Craniopharyngioma-Related Obesity: A Multicentre Case Series.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
Doctors only looked back at records of a few young people, not a real trial.
The short version
In 20 teens with a brain tumor called craniopharyngioma, semaglutide was linked to weight loss.
What was studied. Doctors looked back at the records of 20 patients under 18 years old. All had craniopharyngioma and obesity. Each one took semaglutide, a weekly shot used for weight loss.
What they found. In the year before the shot, these teens kept gaining weight. In the year on the shot, they lost weight instead. BMI, a measure of weight for height, went down by 10% or more in 40% of patients.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: For teens who gain weight after this tumor, semaglutide may be worth asking about. Mild stomach side effects happened in 30% of patients. No one in the study stopped the drug. No tumors came back during the study. Your care team can say if it fits your situation.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean semaglutide treats the tumor itself. It is not a cure. This was a small look back at 20 past cases, not a planned trial. There was no comparison group, so we cannot be sure the drug caused the change. The drug was used off label here, which means it is not approved for this use. Bigger studies are still needed.
Source: PubMed, September 28, 2026 · Read the original
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