Side Effects
Gastrointestinal adverse events are the primary concern with survodutide, consistent with other GLP-1 receptor agonists:
| Side Effect | Survodutide (Phase 2) | Placebo |
|---|---|---|
| Any GI disorder | 75% | 42% |
| Nausea | 66% | 23% |
| Diarrhea | 49% | 23% |
| Vomiting | 41% | 4% |
| Discontinuation (all causes) | 20-25% | 3-4% |
Approximately 72% of discontinuations occurred during the first 6 weeks of dose escalation. Serious adverse events were actually lower in the survodutide group (4%) than placebo (7%). The Phase 3 trials use slower dose titration (4-week intervals vs 2-week) to substantially reduce these dropout rates.
The GI side effect profile is notably higher than semaglutide (~4% discontinuation) and tirzepatide (~7% discontinuation), making tolerability the key competitive question for survodutide's obesity indication.