GLP1

Game-changing GLP-1 agonist drugs are a step closer to being available in oral pill form, with AstraZeneca revealing "encouraging data" from the Phase I safety and tolerability trial of its once-daily obesity and diabetes drug AZD5004.

Rapid weight loss can cause a greater loss of muscle mass than losing weight slowly. The popularity of newer weight-loss drugs that shed pounds quickly has raised concerns among researchers about how this will affect the health of our muscles.

The race is on to deliver the first once-a-day weight-loss pill that would be both cheaper and less invasive than the current injectable drugs, with strong results from Terns following those from competitors Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Roche and Structure.

People living with diabetes might have a new hope. Scientists have tested a new drug therapy in diabetic mice, and found that it boosted insulin-producing cells by 700% over three months, effectively reversing their disease.

Next-gen anti-obesity drugs like injectable liraglutide, sold as Saxenda, deliver impressive results in the first 12 months. New research looks into what happens to those results once treatment stops.

In yet another surprise attribute of the new class of obesity drugs, scientists have found that GLP-1 receptor agonists can also subdue brain inflammation, giving them a potential ‘superpower’ in the fight against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Scientists have found that linking two hormones into a single molecule has the potential for improving the treatment of metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity.