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Mounjaro ingredient shows promise in lowering alcohol consumption

For the first time, researchers show that tirzepatide - the active ingredient in the diabetes and weight-loss drug Mounjaro - reduces alcohol intake as well as relapse-like behaviors in rats and mice.

20 Feb 2026

How GLP-1 drugs affect the body beyond weight loss and glucose control

This review evaluates the safety profile of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and related incretin therapies used for obesity and type 2 diabetes. It highlights common gastrointestinal effects, rare but debated risks, and areas where further long-term safety data are still needed.

18 Feb 2026

Short-duration psychedelic therapy shows promise for major depression treatment

A phase IIa randomized trial found that intravenous dimethyltryptamine (DMT) with structured psychological support produced rapid reductions in depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder. Improvements were statistically significant versus placebo at two weeks, with mostly mild-to-moderate adverse events and the need for larger confirmatory studies emphasized.

17 Feb 2026

Ozempic users continue treatment when weight loss works despite side effects

A study on Ozempic for weight loss reveals user satisfaction is driven by efficacy, despite common gastrointestinal side effects impacting treatment adherence.

13 Feb 2026

Adjunctive brexpiprazole boosts schizophrenia patients' information processing speed

Cognitive impairment, including decreased attention and memory, remains one of the most disabling aspects of schizophrenia, affecting social life of patients.

12 Feb 2026

Review links betel nut addiction to cancer, heart disease, and metabolic risks

This review examines the epidemiology, health risks, neurobiological mechanisms, and emerging treatments related to betel nut addiction worldwide. It highlights strong links with oral cancer, cardiometabolic disease, and addiction pathways while noting limited established therapies and the need for coordinated public health strategies.

11 Feb 2026

Tirzepatide shows dual benefits in sleep apnea trial improving metabolism and reducing inflammation

Tirzepatide significantly improved cardiometabolic risk markers in adults with obesity and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in the SURMOUNT-OSA phase 3 trials. Mediation analyses suggest both weight loss and reduced sleep-disordered breathing contributed to improvements in inflammation, insulin resistance, lipids, and blood pressure.

9 Feb 2026

Clinical trial launched to test experimental intranasal spray against respiratory viruses

Last year, at least one million people in the U.S. were hospitalized for respiratory virus illnesses like the flu or COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2 Feb 2026

New trial tests strategies to protect heart health during prostate cancer therapy

City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States with its National Medical Center ranked among the nation's top cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report, has opened a phase 2 clinical trial comparing three different strategies for protecting heart health in prostate cancer patients who receive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a potentially lifesaving hormone therapy.

26 Jan 2026

Why exercise is essential for restoring fitness after GLP-1-based weight loss

This randomized controlled trial shows that structured moderate-to-vigorous exercise, alone or combined with liraglutide, improves physical function and cardiorespiratory fitness after diet-induced weight loss in adults with obesity. In contrast, liraglutide alone sustains weight loss but does not significantly improve measured physical fitness outcomes.

26 Jan 2026

New role for GLP-1 drugs: Improving survival in people with severe psychiatric disorders

This editorial argues that GLP-1 receptor agonists could substantially improve healthspan and reduce premature mortality in people with serious mental illnesses by targeting cardiometabolic risk rather than psychiatric symptoms alone. It highlights emerging evidence, safety considerations, and equity challenges that position GLP-1 RAs as a promising public health strategy for this high-risk population.

25 Jan 2026

NuSHs can be a promising therapeutic strategy for preventing MASH-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its progressive form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), represent the most common chronic liver diseases in Western populations, driven largely by obesity and insulin resistance.

21 Jan 2026

New oral drug safely lowers triglycerides and other blood lipids in Phase 1 trial

In a Phase 1 clinical study, researchers led by EPFL and their partners report that a new liver- and gut-targeted oral drug can safely lower triglycerides and other blood lipids.

16 Jan 2026

Ultrasound-responsive nanocatchers enable precise in-situ tumor antigen capture

Professor Zhaohui Tang and Associate Professor Zhilin Liu from the team of Professor Xuesi Chen at the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed ultrasound-responsive in-situ antigen nanocatchers (S-nanocatchers), achieving precise spatiotemporal capture of tumor antigens and controllable acquisition of in-situ vaccines.

9 Jan 2026

Weight loss drugs and surgery improve body composition in patients with obesity

Both the new weight loss drugs and bariatric (weight loss) surgery improve body composition in patients with obesity by inducing a moderate loss of fat-free mass (including lean muscle) along with a substantial reduction in fat, researchers at Vanderbilt Health have found.

9 Jan 2026

Global analysis shows widespread eligibility for GLP-1 weight management drugs

The worldwide prevalence of obesity has more than doubled in the last three decades, bringing with it an increase in weight-related diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancers.

8 Jan 2026

Researchers develop enhanced antibodies to unleash the immune system against cancer

Researchers at the University of Southampton have developed a promising new way to bolster the body's immune system response to cancer.

8 Jan 2026

UC Davis team creates new class of serotonin-effecting drugs

UC Davis researchers have developed a new method that uses light to transform amino acids - the building blocks of proteins - into molecules that are similar in structure to psychedelics and mimic their interaction with the brain.

8 Jan 2026

Study highlights prevalence of GLP-1/GIP medication use for weight loss in UK

In early 2025, around 4.9 million British adults - almost one in ten - are estimated to have recently used, or expressed interest in using, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) or dual GLP-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor agonist medications to support weight loss. The findings, which are based on a nationally representative household survey of 5,260 British adults, are published in BMC Medicine.

8 Jan 2026

Weight loss drugs may cause nutritional deficiencies without proper guidance

People prescribed the new generation of weight loss drugs may not receive sufficient nutritional guidance to support safe and sustainable weight loss, leaving them vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies and muscle loss, say experts at UCL and the University of Cambridge.

7 Jan 2026

Agonist News and Research

Mounjaro ingredient shows promise in lowering alcohol consumption

How GLP-1 drugs affect the body beyond weight loss and glucose control

Short-duration psychedelic therapy shows promise for major depression treatment

Ozempic users continue treatment when weight loss works despite side effects

Adjunctive brexpiprazole boosts schizophrenia patients' information processing speed

Review links betel nut addiction to cancer, heart disease, and metabolic risks

Tirzepatide shows dual benefits in sleep apnea trial improving metabolism and reducing inflammation

Clinical trial launched to test experimental intranasal spray against respiratory viruses

New trial tests strategies to protect heart health during prostate cancer therapy

Why exercise is essential for restoring fitness after GLP-1-based weight loss

New role for GLP-1 drugs: Improving survival in people with severe psychiatric disorders

NuSHs can be a promising therapeutic strategy for preventing MASH-related hepatocellular carcinoma

New oral drug safely lowers triglycerides and other blood lipids in Phase 1 trial

Ultrasound-responsive nanocatchers enable precise in-situ tumor antigen capture

Weight loss drugs and surgery improve body composition in patients with obesity

Global analysis shows widespread eligibility for GLP-1 weight management drugs

Researchers develop enhanced antibodies to unleash the immune system against cancer

UC Davis team creates new class of serotonin-effecting drugs

Study highlights prevalence of GLP-1/GIP medication use for weight loss in UK

Weight loss drugs may cause nutritional deficiencies without proper guidance

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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