← Issue №9/ week of Aug 30, 2026/Endoscopy

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty versus oral semaglutide for obesity: a real-world comparative cohort study.

From GI Signals issue №9: what this paper found, what it changes, and where it sits against the current standard of care, reviewed by Simon Mathews, MD.

Endoscopy retrospective · n=150 · Aug 24, 2026 · Endoscopy · IF 11.8

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty versus oral semaglutide for obesity: a real-world comparative cohort study.

New evidencebariatric endoscopy
Clinical takeawayConsider ESG over oral semaglutide 14mg for adults aged 18-65 with BMI ≥30 or ≥27 with obesity-related comorbidity prioritizing short-term weight loss, but discuss the similar 12-month outcomes and the 18% discontinuation rate with semaglutide.
What it foundESG achieved greater 6-month weight loss than oral semaglutide 14mg (12.72% vs 8.67% TBWL) and higher responder rates (70% vs 43% for ≥10% TBWL, 36% vs 7% for ≥15% TBWL).
ContextConfirms ESG's superior short-term efficacy over semaglutide but challenges the durability of this advantage, aligning with prior evidence on endoscopic vs pharmacologic obesity treatments.
Refinessuggested applicable standard· American Gastroenterological Association, 'AGA Clinical Practice Guideline on Pharmacological Interventions for Adults With Obesity' (Grunvald E et al., Gastroenterology 2022;163(5):1198-1225). DOI 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.08.045, PMID 36273831.

Decision at stakethe choice between endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty and oral semaglutide for obesity management

Among agents the AGA suggests semaglutide 2.4 mg, liraglutide 3.0 mg, phentermine-topiramate ER, and naltrexone-bupropion ER (all moderate-certainty evidence), and, as lower-certainty options, e.g., where cost is a barrier, phentermine and diethylpropion (low-certainty evidence); when prioritizing for greatest weight loss the panel favored semaglutide 2.4 mg. The AGA suggests AGAINST orlistat and made no recommendation on Gelesis100 (identified as a knowledge gap).

From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text.

Our full summary of this standard

PRIMARY, AGA 2022 (pharmacotherapy, the GI-society spine): Manage obesity as a chronic disease with lifestyle intervention as the foundation. In adults with BMI ≥30 kg/m², OR BMI ≥27 kg/m² with a weight-related complication, who have an inadequate response to lifestyle intervention alone, the AGA STRONGLY recommends ADDING long-term pharmacotherapy to (not replacing) continued lifestyle intervention. Among agents the AGA suggests semaglutide 2.4 mg, liraglutide 3.0 mg, phentermine-topiramate ER, and naltrexone-bupropion ER (all moderate-certainty evidence), and, as lower-certainty options, e.g., where cost is a barrier, phentermine and diethylpropion (low-certainty evidence); when prioritizing for greatest weight loss the panel favored semaglutide 2.4 mg. The AGA suggests AGAINST orlistat and made no recommendation on Gelesis100 (identified as a knowledge gap). Agent choice should be individualized to comorbidities, contraindications, patient preference, and cost/access. COMORBIDITY BRANCHES (attributed separately, NOT part of the AGA document): For obesity-associated MASH, AASLD Practice Guidance supports selecting patients with stage F2-F3 fibrosis by non-invasive tests (VCTE ~8-15 kPa, MRE 3.1-4.4 kPa, or ELF 9.2-10.5) rather than mandatory biopsy, and endorses resmetirom (thyroid hormone receptor-β agonist; FDA-approved March 2024) as the only currently approved pharmacotherapy for MASH (not indicated for MASH cirrhosis). For metabolic/bariatric surgery, the 2022 ASMBS/IFSO indications recommend surgery at BMI ≥35 kg/m² regardless of comorbidity and consideration at BMI 30-34.9 kg/m² with metabolic disease (lower Asian-population thresholds: offer surgery at BMI >27.5, clinical obesity from >25), with multidisciplinary pre-operative evaluation. Concurrently screen for and manage the GI/hepatology comorbidities of obesity (MASLD/MASH, GERD, cholelithiasis).

American Gastroenterological Association, 'AGA Clinical Practice Guideline on Pharmacological Interventions for Adults With Obesity' (Grunvald E et al., Gastroenterology 2022;163(5):1198-1225). DOI 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.08.045, PMID 36273831. · reviewed 2026-07-21 ↗
Jagtap N … Reddy DN · Endoscopy · IF 11.8 · PubMed ↗Permalink
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