Semaglutide

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) used to treat type 2 diabetes by enhancing insulin secretion, reducing appetite, and promoting weight loss. It is administered as a subcutaneous injection once weekly and has shown significant efficacy in improving glycemic control and reducing body weight.

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Alzheimer’s Disease: Emerging Off-Label Neuroprotective Potential

GLP-1 receptor agonists show strong preclinical neuroprotective potential in Alzheimer’s disease through effects on insulin signaling, neuroinflammation, amyloid, tau, and brain metabolism. Human evidence remains mixed, with observational studies suggesting lower dementia risk but randomized trials yet to demonstrate a clinically meaningful disease-modifying benefit.

What's Next for Semaglutide? Beyond Diabetes and Weight Loss

Semaglutide and Type 2 Diabetes: Efficacy, Safety, and Outcomes

A weight-loss drug eased knee arthritis pain in two major trials

Retatrutide effectively alleviates knee pain and enhances mobility in obese osteoarthritis patients, but long-term safety and joint health remain uncertain.

10 Nov 2026

Could Ozempic and Wegovy affect unborn babies?

They’re the blockbuster drugs transforming weight loss, helping millions of people to shed unwanted pounds.

10 Nov 2026

Most eligible teens miss out on advanced obesity treatments

Despite the arrival of powerful new anti-obesity medications and growing evidence supporting weight-loss surgery for adolescents, the vast majority of eligible teens are receiving neither treatment, according to a new study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago published in JAMA Pediatrics.

9 Nov 2026

Animal study raises questions about semaglutide safety during pregnancy

They're the blockbuster drugs transforming weight loss, helping millions of people to shed unwanted kilos.

9 Nov 2026

ZEUS trial challenges assumptions about targeting inflammation in heart disease

Like cholesterol, inflammation causally contributes to the risk of cardiovascular disease, but findings from the clinical trial ZEUS indicate that the road to targeting inflammation may be less straightforward than once thought.

8 Nov 2026

Retatrutide reduces knee pain and body weight in osteoarthritis patients

For people with painful knee osteoarthritis (OA) who are overweight or have obesity, everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs and standing up from a chair can be difficult.

8 Nov 2026

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs may change what you crave, not just how much you eat

A prospective observational pilot study of 38 adults without diabetes found that three months of semaglutide or tirzepatide treatment was associated with an average weight loss of 7.2 kg, reduced food cravings, increased satiety, and improved self-reported hunger control. Most participants reported smaller meal portions, while some experienced changes in food preferences, although the study could not establish whether the medications directly caused these behavioral changes.

8 Nov 2026

Obesity drugs may help protect memory and cognitive abilities

Drugs used to treat obesity may also help protect the brain. In a review published in Science, researchers outline how a better understanding of these drugs' effects could lead to new treatments that protect memory and other important cognitive abilities.

6 Nov 2026

Could GLP-1 drugs help women with PCOS beyond weight loss?

A scoping review of 28 studies suggests that GLP-1 receptor agonists may improve androgen levels and menstrual function in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), alongside their established metabolic benefits. Evidence for improved ovulation, fertility, and pregnancy outcomes remains limited, and the researchers could not determine whether reproductive benefits result directly from the drugs or from weight loss and improved metabolic health.

1 Nov 2026

Why you still want dessert even when you're completely full

A 2026 narrative review examines how food liking (pleasure) and wanting (motivation) interact with hunger and satiety to influence food choices, explaining why certain foods may remain appealing even after a satisfying meal. The authors report that food reward can change independently of hunger under specific conditions, but evidence remains limited that these changes reliably predict subsequent eating or improve weight-management outcomes.

1 Nov 2026

Thyroid cancer risks and medication timing with oral GLP-1s

Like most prescriptions, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) medications to manage weight come with potential risks.

28 Oct 2026

Millions get GLP-1 drugs through channels insurance records may miss

Researchers analyzed reports from 9,150 US adults and found that current or previous GLP-1/GIP use rose from 8.2% to 12% between March 2024 and October 2025, largely driven by weight-loss indications. They also estimated that approximately one-third of users obtained treatment through nontraditional channels that standard insurance claims may fail to capture.

26 Oct 2026

Semaglutide changes gut bacteria in rats beyond what eating less explains

Researchers compared semaglutide-treated male and female rats with pair-fed animals receiving the same amount and type of food to distinguish drug-associated microbiome changes from those linked to reduced eating. Semaglutide altered bacterial richness and community composition, with some changes absent from the pair-fed groups and uncertain consequences for health.

26 Oct 2026

Taking a GLP-1 drug? Here's what the safety evidence really shows

A review on GLP-1 receptor agonists highlights risks like pancreatitis and thyroid cancer, emphasizing individual patient risk over general safety concerns.

26 Oct 2026

Semaglutide and teduglutide reduce immune-driven gut injury in mice

Researchers found that gut-derived GLP-1 and GLP-2 signaling helped protect mice against T cell-induced intestinal injury, with GLP-1R primarily regulating inflammation and GLP-2R supporting intestinal repair. Semaglutide and teduglutide, administered separately or together, reduced acute intestinal damage in mice lacking intestinal proglucagon, suggesting potential avenues for investigating treatments for immune-mediated gut injury.

21 Oct 2026

Major trial seeks to test semaglutide on adults with alcohol and opioid use disorder

The Center for Addiction Science, Policy and Research (CASPR) and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services are preparing to launch a major $13.3 million randomized controlled trial to test whether weekly semaglutide, as an additional support to existing care, can reduce alcohol and opioid use and reduce criminal-justice involvement while improving employment, health, and housing outcomes among people at elevated risk of criminal-justice involvement.

13 Oct 2026

CBL-514 injection reduces visceral and subcutaneous fat in trials

Details of a new injection that targets fat cells will be released at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2).

1 Oct 2026

Trevogrumab cuts semaglutide-induced lean mass loss by half, study shows

New research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) and in press with The Lancet shows that using the trevogrumab to inhibit myostatin, a protein that negatively regulates muscle mass, can reduce lean mass loss during treatment with semaglutide by 50% compared with semaglutide and placebo.

1 Oct 2026

Real-world data reveals higher reported GLP-1 side effects in female patients

The second of a Series of papers presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) and published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women's Health discusses the wide-ranging issues relating to use of GLP-1 RA drug use in women.

1 Oct 2026

GLP-1 receptor agonist exposure shows no link to major adverse pregnancy outcomes

New research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) and published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women's Health shows that, following a review and meta-analysis of available studies, use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) drugs for diabetes and weight management in women living with diabetes is not associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in most cases.

1 Oct 2026