# GLP-1 Drugs and Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Early Studies, No Trial By Nora Bissett, Pricing Editor (https://glpwatchdog.org/authors/nora-bissett) | Published: 2026-08-21 | Updated: 2026-10-27 Canonical page: https://glpwatchdog.org/research/glp1-and-hidradenitis-suppurativa > Early studies of liraglutide and semaglutide report improvement in HS severity and quality of life. There is no randomized trial, and weight loss by other means has had mixed results in this condition, which complicates the obvious explanation. ## Key points - No randomized trial of a GLP-1 in hidradenitis suppurativa exists; the evidence is early studies summarized in a 2025 narrative review. - Early studies of liraglutide and semaglutide reported improvement in disease severity and quality of life. - Weight loss through diet, exercise or bariatric surgery has had MIXED results in HS, which argues against weight alone as the mechanism. - Proposed mechanisms are reduced mechanical stress on affected skin and moderation of inflammation. Hidradenitis suppurativa and obesity often go together, and losing weight has been associated with improvement in symptoms. So the question of whether a GLP-1 helps is a reasonable one, and early studies of liraglutide and semaglutide have reported improvement in disease severity and quality of life.[1] There is no randomized trial. The best available summary is a review whose own title ends in a question mark, and that is where the evidence stands. ## What is established, and what is not HS is an inflammatory skin disorder producing painful, draining nodules in skin folds, which can progress to sinus tracts. Obesity is more common in people with HS than in the general population, and may predispose to it. Weight loss has been associated with symptom improvement. All of that is settled enough to build on.[1] What is not settled is whether adding a GLP-1 changes the disease. The review describes early studies of liraglutide and semaglutide showing improvement in severity and quality of life, and proposes two mechanisms: reduced mechanical stress on affected skin, and moderation of inflammation. “Early studies” and “proposed mechanism” are the operative phrases.[1] > **The complication most coverage leaves out.** The same review states that weight loss through diet, exercise or bariatric surgery has *mixed* results in HS. If weight loss alone were reliably the mechanism, that would not be the case. So either these drugs are doing something beyond the weight (a real hypothesis, given the inflammation argument), or the early GLP-1 results will settle toward the same mixed picture. Nobody has run the study that would tell you which. ## How to read an early result in a painful condition HS is severe enough that people reasonably want to try things. That is the situation in which early, unblinded, uncontrolled results are most persuasive and least reliable: a condition that flares and remits on its own, an outcome partly scored by how a patient feels, and a treatment everyone involved is hoping will work. The finding may still be right. But it is the kind that requires a controlled trial before anybody should count on it, and the absence of such a trial is the single most important thing to know before deciding. - No GLP-1 is approved for hidradenitis suppurativa. Any use for it would be off-label. - The evidence is early-stage studies summarized in a narrative review, not a randomized trial. - Established HS treatments, including biologics with randomized evidence, are not displaced by any of this. - If you carry excess weight and have HS, weight loss deserves discussion on its own merits, with the caveat that its effect on HS specifically has been mixed. - Decisions here belong with a dermatologist who knows your disease stage. An article summarizing a review cannot substitute for that. For a skin condition where a randomized trial of a GLP-1 alongside a biologic does exist, see [a biologic plus tirzepatide for psoriasis](https://glpwatchdog.org/research/a-biologic-plus-tirzepatide-for-psoriasis). ## Frequently asked questions ### Do GLP-1 drugs help hidradenitis suppurativa? Early studies of liraglutide and semaglutide have reported improvement in disease severity and quality of life, but there is no randomized trial. The best available summary is a 2025 narrative review that frames the question rather than answering it. ### Is it just the weight loss? Possibly not. Weight loss through diet, exercise or bariatric surgery has had mixed results in HS. If weight alone were the mechanism you would expect those to work consistently. The proposed alternatives are reduced mechanical stress on affected skin and moderation of inflammation. ### Is a GLP-1 approved for HS? No. No GLP-1 receptor agonist is approved for hidradenitis suppurativa, and using one for that purpose would be off-label and a decision for your dermatologist. ### Should I stop my current HS treatment? Nothing in this evidence displaces established treatments, including biologics that have randomized trial support. Changes to HS therapy belong with the clinician managing it. ## References 1. Strong J, Driscoll MS. Obesity in Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Are GLP-1 Receptor Agonists the New Frontier?. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 2025. PMID: 39690371. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39690371/ --- Cite as: GLP Watchdog, Nora Bissett, "GLP-1 Drugs and Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Early Studies, No Trial", published 2026-08-21, updated 2026-10-27. https://glpwatchdog.org/research/glp1-and-hidradenitis-suppurativa Canonical HTML page: https://glpwatchdog.org/research/glp1-and-hidradenitis-suppurativa Medical disclaimer: Nothing here is medical advice. We report on this subject; we do not treat anyone. Whether to begin a medication, supplement, or treatment, whether to adjust it, and whether to stop are questions for a clinician licensed to answer them, who knows your history.