Weight loss drug semaglutide could help overweight people with severe depression

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-04-30 01:00

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Taking the diabetes and weight-loss drug semaglutide orally has been shown to help people with major depressive disorder (MDD) increase their willingness to exert physical effort - a common challenge for people with the condition -, say Canadian and German scientists. The team performed a top-tier trial over six weeks which included 72 participants - 35 receiving the semaglutide pill, and 37 receiving a placebo - who had MDD and were overweight. The researchers say semaglutide reduced the perceived cost of effort relative to the reward they received. As MDD is a serious mental health condition that comes with a loss of interest in activities, the researchers believe their results could have implications for the treatment of multiple neuropsychiatric disorders that come with issues relating to effort and reward.