#Italy #Milan #Semaglutide #Endoscopic Sleeve #ESGE 2026

Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty Shows Promising Weight Loss Results

Milan, 15 May 2026 — A recent comparative study unveiled at the ESGE Days 2026 has shown that endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is more effective than oral semaglutide for achieving short-term weight loss in adults diagnosed with obesity. Conducted as a retrospective cohort study involving 150 patients, the research evaluated clinical outcomes after a six-month follow-up period.

Study Overview

The patients who underwent ESG demonstrated a substantial average weight loss of 12.7% of their total body weight, a significant contrast to the 8.7% loss achieved by those receiving a 14 mg daily dose of oral semaglutide. This results in a noteworthy difference of approximately 4% (p=0.0001), which remained significant even after adjusting for baseline characteristics including age, gender, BMI, and diabetic status.

The ESG procedure, recognized for its minimally invasive approach, effectively reduces stomach volume, while semaglutide acts by modulating appetite as a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. The study highlights a need for direct comparisons between procedural and pharmacological treatments, especially concerning oral formulations, to guide clinical decision-making.

Treatment Efficacy

Patients who underwent ESG were observed to achieve clinically significant weight loss more frequently. By the six-month mark, 70% of patients in the ESG cohort lost at least 10% of their initial body weight, compared to just 43% in the semaglutide group. Furthermore, 36% of the ESG patients attained a weight loss of 15% or more, whereas this figure was only 7% within the semaglutide group. Adverse effects across both treatments were comparable, being primarily mild gastrointestinal symptoms, with no severe complications or fatalities reported.

Insights from the Lead Author

Dr. Nitin G. Jagtap, the principal investigator, noted that these findings address a common clinical inquiry.