In the 1980s, researchers identified a hormone in the human gut called GLP-1 that stimulates the release of insulin to control blood sugar levels, a discovery that would eventually give rise to a new class of diabetes treatments. Known as GLP-1 receptor agoniststhe first Approved in 2005.
The drug not only controlled blood sugar levels, but also appeared to suppress appetite, and some people who took it lost a modest amount of weight. This discovery led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to First GLP-1 drug approved for weight loss in 2014Study participants taking the weekly injection, called liraglutide and sold under the brand name Saxenda, lost an average of about 3 percent of their body weight.
At the time, Saxenda’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, had already We are working to develop a better GLP-1The new drug, semaglutide, was first approved as a diabetes treatment under the brand name Ozempic in 2017, and then approved as a weight-loss drug under the name Wegovy in 2021. In clinical trials of the drug, participants who were given Wegovy lost weight. Approximately 15 percent of original body weight— a total game changer.
Following semaglutide, Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide will be approved as a diabetes treatment in 2022 under the name Munjaro. Zepbound for weight management in 2023In the Zepbound study, patients taking the highest dose About 21 percent of body weightHead-to-head comparison of Wegovy and Zepbound It was released earlier this monthZepbound has been found to be likely to lead to significant weight loss.
These drugs are now wildly popular and therefore in short supply, generating huge profits for their manufacturers, and their success has created a frenzy among pharmaceutical companies looking for the next blockbuster. Weight loss drugsResearchers are currently racing to develop new anti-obesity drugs that are more effective, more convenient and have fewer side effects than those currently on the market, which can cause side effects such as nausea and headaches. Some people stop taking the drug because of unpleasant side effects..
There are other drawbacks: In the U.S., it can cost more than $1,000 a month and may not be covered by insurance. It must be injected subcutaneously once a week. And while most people who take it do well, some don’t. Almost no weight lossNeedless to say, the ongoing shortage of GLP-1 makes it difficult for patients to start and continue taking their medication as prescribed.
More drugs on the market not only mean more choices for patients but also more profits for the companies that sell them. “It’s a very exciting and busy time in the field of obesity right now,” says Darren McGuire, a cardiologist and professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Semaglutide and tirzepatide activate GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas to stimulate insulin production and control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. The drugs also slow gastric emptying and interact with GLP-1 receptors in the brain to suppress hunger, which results in people eating less and having fewer food cravings while taking them.
Tirzepatide may work a little better because it’s a dual receptor agonist; in addition to GLP-1, it activates receptors for GIP, another hormone involved in regulating blood sugar and appetite. But Maguire says GIP is not well understood, so it’s unclear whether adding it helps increase weight loss or whether tirzepatide is just better at activating GLP-1. “Right now we don’t have a way to figure out the biology of it,” he says.
