Weight management
Reduction or stabilisation of body weight in overweight or obesity. Clinical endpoints: percentage weight loss, waist circumference, comorbidities. Weight regain after discontinuation is a central topic of discussion.
Peptides on this topic
14 peptiden met onderzoek naar dit onderwerpSynthetic long-acting amylin analog being developed in combination with semaglutide (CagriSema). Phase 3 trials for obesity and type 2 diabetes are ongoing. No marketing approval yet.
- Humane RCTAdditional weight reduction in combination with semaglutide 2.4 mg versus semaglutide monotherapy observed in the phase-2 CagriSema trial
- Humane RCTMonotherapy showed weight reduction of similar magnitude to GLP-1 RA comparator arms in a phase-2 study
CagriSema is a fixed-dose combination of the amylin analogue cagrilintide and the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide (Novo Nordisk), in late-stage development for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
- Humane RCTIn the phase-3 REDEFINE 2 study (obesity with type 2 diabetes), CagriSema reached a mean weight loss of 15.7% at 68 weeks versus 3.1% on placebo.
- Humane studieCombines the amylin and GLP-1 axes in a single weekly product.
Ecnoglutide (XW003) is a long-acting, cAMP-signalling-biased GLP-1 analogue from Sciwind Biosciences. Derived from GLP-1(7-37) with an alanine-to-valine substitution at position 8, it activates the GLP-1 receptor selectively via the cAMP pathway over β-arrestin recruitment. Investigated for weight management and in type 2 diabetes.
- Humane RCTStatistically significant HbA1c reduction versus placebo in adults with type 2 diabetes over 20 weeks observed in a phase-2 trial
- Humane RCTWeight reduction versus placebo in adults with overweight or obesity without diabetes over 48 weeks documented in the phase-3 SLIMMER trial
Efinopegdutide (MK-6024, formerly JNJ-64565111 / HM12525A) is a once-weekly dual agonist at the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, developed by Hanmi and Merck. It has been studied for obesity and notably for metabolic liver disease (MASH/NAFLD); a phase-2 trial showed greater liver-fat reduction than semaglutide. Investigational, not approved.
- Humane RCTGreater relative reduction in liver fat content than semaglutide reported in a 24-week phase-2a trial
- Humane RCTDose-dependent weight reduction documented in individuals with obesity without type 2 diabetes over 26 weeks
Glucagon is a 29-amino-acid pancreatic hormone produced by the alpha cells of the islets of Langerhans. It is the physiological counterpart to insulin and raises blood glucose via hepatic glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. It is approved as an emergency treatment for severe hypoglycaemia and as a diagnostic aid; its receptor is also a target of modern dual and triple incretin agonists.
- Humane RCTGlucagon-receptor activation as one of three receptor components of a triple-agonist drug candidate with observed weight reduction
GLP-1 receptor agonist with a half-life of about 13 hours. The first daily (not weekly) modern GLP-1 RA — approved as Victoza for type 2 diabetes (2010) and Saxenda for obesity (2014).
- Humane RCTReduction in cardiovascular events (MACE) in type-2-diabetes patients at high CV risk over 3.8 years
- Humane RCTMean weight loss in adults with obesity over 56 weeks in the SCALE trial
Synthetic oxyntomodulin analogue that simultaneously activates the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors (dual agonist). Developed by Innovent Biologics and Eli Lilly. In China the NMPA approved mazdutide on 27 June 2025 for chronic weight management; a further filing for type 2 diabetes is under review in China. Outside China the substance remains in clinical development.
- Humane RCTClinically relevant weight reduction in adults with overweight or obesity over 48 weeks documented in a phase-3 trial
- Humane RCTImprovement of glycaemic parameters in adults with type 2 diabetes reported in a phase-2 trial
Pramlintide is a synthetic analog of the hormone amylin. It is used as an adjunct to mealtime insulin therapy in type 1 and type 2 diabetes and, among other things, slows gastric emptying.
- Humane studieAssociated with modest weight loss (meta-analysis: around 2.3 kg).
Synthetic triagonist peptide that simultaneously activates the GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors. Developed by Eli Lilly; in phase-3 trials for obesity (TRIUMPH programme) and type 2 diabetes. No marketing approval yet.
- Humane RCTWeight reduction over 48 weeks observed in the phase-2 obesity trial — at the highest dose greater than documented for other incretin-based therapies
- Humane RCTHbA1c reduction in type 2 diabetes over 36 weeks documented in a phase-2 trial
Long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist. Approved as a medicinal product for type-2 diabetes (Ozempic, Rybelsus), chronic weight management (Wegovy) and cardiovascular risk in obesity. One of the best-studied substances on this platform — many large human RCTs.
- Humane RCTReduction of HbA1c in type-2 diabetes
- Humane RCTWeight reduction in overweight and obesity
Setmelanotide (brand name Imcivree) is a synthetic cyclic octapeptide and an agonist at the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R). It was developed and approved as a prescription medicine for chronic weight management in rare genetic forms of obesity within the MC4R signalling pathway (including POMC, PCSK1 and LEPR deficiency as well as Bardet-Biedl syndrome). The following information is provided for informational and educational purposes only.
- Humane studieIn single-arm, open-label phase 3 trials, a reduction in body weight was observed in individuals with severe obesity due to POMC or LEPR deficiency.
- Humane RCTIn a randomised, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial in Bardet-Biedl syndrome, a reduction in body weight compared with placebo was observed.
Synthetic peptide that simultaneously activates the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. Developed by Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma; in phase-3 trials for obesity (SYNCHRONIZE) and MASH. No marketing approval yet.
- Humane RCTWeight reduction over 46 weeks documented in a phase-2 obesity trial
- Humane RCTHistological MASH improvement reported in a phase-2 trial over 48 weeks
Synthetic peptide that simultaneously activates the GLP-1 and GIP receptor (dual agonist). Approved in the US and EU for type 2 diabetes (Mounjaro) and obesity (Zepbound).
- Humane RCTReduction in HbA1c versus placebo and versus semaglutide observed in randomised trials
- Humane RCTWeight loss over 72 weeks in the obesity-without-diabetes study population
VK2735 is a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist from Viking Therapeutics, in development in both subcutaneous and oral forms for obesity.
- Humane RCTIn the phase-2 VENTURE study (subcutaneous, 13 weeks), VK2735 reached a mean weight loss of up to 14.7% with no apparent plateau.
- Humane studieAn oral form is being developed in parallel and showed a clear dose–response in the VENTURE-Oral study.