A minimally invasive outpatient procedure may help people avoid regaining weight after stopping popular medications like Ozempic and semaglutide, according to research being presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2026. About 70% of people who stop these drugs eventually regain much of the weight they lost, often within 18 months. Nearly one in five adults with obesity has used a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), highlighting the scale of this challenge.

Researchers report the first blinded, randomized, sham-controlled evidence that a procedure called duodenal mucosal resurfacing may offer a safe and lasting way to maintain weight loss without ongoing medication. The findings suggest it could help patients hold onto the benefits they achieved while taking drugs such as Ozempic or other GLP-1 therapies.

"As effective as GLP-1 medications are, many people stop taking them because of cost, side effects or simply not wanting to take a drug long-term," said lead author Shelby Sullivan, MD, director of the Endoscopic Bariatric and Metabolic Program at Dartmouth Health Weight Center and professor of medicine, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine. "But, if they stop these medications, weight regain occurs in the vast majority of patients, and the metabolic benefits are lost. Finding a treatment that allows patients to stop these medications without weight regain or loss of metabolic benefit is a huge unmet need. These findings indicate that this minimally invasive procedure may provide lasting weight-loss maintenance."

>How the "Gut Reset" Procedure Works>

Duodenal mucosal resurfacing is an investigational endoscopic treatment that uses controlled heat to remove damaged tissue from the inner lining of the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine just below the stomach. This process, which ablates (burns) the unhealthy mucosal layer, encourages the growth of new, healthier tissue.

The ongoing REMAIN-1 trial is designed to test whether this renewal of the intestinal lining can trigger a lasting metabolic reset, helping the body maintain weight loss after stopping medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide.

>Trial Results Show Less Weight Regain>

The current findings come from an early group of participants with six months of follow-up data. Among 45 people in this cohort, 29 received the resurfacing treatment while 16 underwent a sham procedure. All participants had previously lost at least 15% of their body weight using tirzepatide before stopping the drug.