Over the past 30 years, the number of people with obesity has almost doubled in the world – a chronic disease accompanied by progressive metabolic disorders and an increased risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, etc. The rapidly growing number of overweight adults and adolescents, the severity and low efficiency of existing traditional methods of treating obesity, prompt the search for the most effective and safe methods of therapy. Semaglutide is a glucan-like peptide 1 agonist that has demonstrated promising efficacy not only in glycemic control, but also in weight loss by delaying gastric emptying, enhancing and prolonging the feeling of satiety, reducing appetite and energy consumption. The article discusses the main mechanisms of action of semaglutide, and also presents data from STEP studies on the efficacy and safety of semaglutide at a dose of 2.4 mg per week in patients with obesity or overweight without diabetes mellitus.