GLP-1 Agonists: Compound Reference

GLP-1 receptor agonist. Ozempic (injection) / Wegovy (weight loss) / Rybelsus (oral). Used in bodybuilding for appetite suppression and fat loss during cutting phases.

Effects: May mildly affect liver enzymes (typically improvement with fat loss), significant appetite suppression, improves fasting glucose and HbA1c, improves lipid profile (lower triglycerides, LDL), can cause mild elevations in amylase/lipase (monitor for pancreatitis), reduces CRP (anti-inflammatory)

Dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist. Mounjaro / Zepbound. More potent fat loss than Semaglutide in clinical trials. Increasingly popular in bodybuilding for cutting.

Effects: Significant appetite suppression, improves fasting glucose and HbA1c (more potently than Semaglutide), improves lipid profile, may mildly affect liver enzymes (typically improvement), can elevate amylase/lipase, reduces CRP and inflammatory markers

Triple agonist: GIP/GLP-1/Glucagon receptor agonist. Eli Lilly. Most potent weight loss peptide in clinical trials. Phase 3 trials ongoing.

Effects: Profound appetite suppression, improves fasting glucose and HbA1c, may improve lipid profile more than dual agonists (glucagon component increases energy expenditure), can elevate amylase/lipase, increased heart rate reported, may affect liver enzymes

Selective long-acting amylin receptor agonist from Eli Lilly (development code LY3841136), dosed once weekly. Mechanistically an amylin analog rather than a GLP-1, listed here alongside Cagrilintide because it competes in the same space. Early clinical stage only, not approved anywhere.

Effects: Appetite suppression and weight loss with a notably lower rate of nausea and vomiting than GLP-1 receptor agonists in early trials. Amylin signalling slows gastric emptying and suppresses glucagon, so fasting glucose and HbA1c tend to improve. No direct effect on lipids, liver enzymes, or hormones beyond what the weight loss produces.

Long-acting acylated amylin analog. Once-weekly injection. Promotes satiety, slows gastric emptying. Combined with Semaglutide as CagriSema for enhanced weight loss.

Effects: Significant appetite suppression, may improve fasting glucose and HbA1c (amylin reduces glucagon secretion), does not directly affect lipids or liver enzymes, GI side effects (nausea, vomiting) during titration are common

Once-daily acylated GLP-1 receptor agonist. Marketed as Saxenda (3mg, weight management) and Victoza (1.2 to 1.8mg, type 2 diabetes). The first GLP-1 to gain weight-loss approval; superseded clinically by once-weekly semaglutide and tirzepatide but still widely prescribed, available as a generic in some markets, and useful when patients cannot tolerate the longer-acting agents.

Effects: Appetite suppression (less sustained than semaglutide due to the daily dosing trough). Improves fasting glucose, HbA1c, and lipid profile (lowers triglycerides and LDL modestly). Reduces cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes (LEADER trial). Can elevate amylase and lipase; small absolute risk of pancreatitis. Mild rise in heart rate (~3 bpm). Reduces CRP (anti-inflammatory effect).

Once-monthly peptide-antibody conjugate from Amgen that agonises the GLP-1 receptor while ANTAGONISING the GIP receptor, the opposite of what tirzepatide does at GIP. The antibody backbone gives it an antibody-length half-life, so it is dosed every 4 weeks and was trialled at every 8 weeks. Phase 2 (n=592, 52 weeks) produced 12.3% to 16.2% weight loss without diabetes and 8.4% to 12.3% with type 2 diabetes. Phase 3 ongoing; not approved anywhere as of August 2026.

Effects: Appetite suppression and substantial weight loss sustained to 52 weeks without a plateau. HbA1c fell 1.2 to 1.6 percentage points in the diabetes cohort against +0.1 for placebo, a strong glycaemic effect. Gastrointestinal adverse events (nausea, vomiting, constipation) were common and concentrated around the first dose, which is the practical problem with monthly dosing: there is no weekly titration to hide behind. Dose escalation and a lower starting dose reduced them.

Once-weekly dual glucagon and GLP-1 receptor agonist developed by Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma. The glucagon component increases energy expenditure and hepatic fat oxidation on top of GLP-1 driven appetite suppression. Phase 2 trials reported ~14 to 19% body weight loss; Phase 3 obesity programme is ongoing as of 2025. Also showing strong signals in MASH (NAFLD/NASH) trials.

Effects: Significant appetite suppression (GLP-1 component) plus increased resting energy expenditure (glucagon component). Improves fasting glucose and HbA1c. Reduces hepatic fat fraction substantially in MASH trials. May increase heart rate and lower diastolic blood pressure (typical for the dual agonist class). GI side effects (nausea, vomiting) are common during titration. Limited long-term real-world safety data.

Once-weekly GLP-1 and glucagon receptor dual agonist (oxyntomodulin analog) co-developed by Innovent Biologics and Eli Lilly. In late-stage development primarily in China; approved for chronic weight management in China (2025) under the trade name Xinerda. Globally less developed than survodutide. Phase 2 results show ~10 to 15% weight loss at higher doses; particularly studied in Asian populations.

Effects: Appetite suppression and increased energy expenditure (oxyntomodulin-like dual agonism). Improves fasting glucose and HbA1c. Reduces hepatic fat. Lowers triglycerides and uric acid. GI adverse events (nausea, diarrhoea) typical for the class. Heart rate increase is modest. Limited Western pharmacokinetic and long-term safety data because the development programme has been concentrated in Chinese populations.

Novo Nordisk's fixed-dose combination of cagrilintide 2.4mg (a dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonist) with semaglutide 2.4mg (a GLP-1 receptor agonist), given once weekly by subcutaneous injection. The first amylin plus incretin combination to complete Phase 3. Not approved anywhere at the time of writing.

Effects: Appetite suppression through two separate satiety pathways, amylin signalling in the hindbrain and GLP-1 receptor agonism. Produced roughly 20% mean weight reduction at 68 weeks in Phase 3. Improves fasting glucose and HbA1c. Gastrointestinal adverse events are frequent and are the dose-limiting factor, affecting close to 80% of participants in the pivotal trial. No direct effect on lipids, liver enzymes or hormones beyond what the weight loss produces.