Efpeglenatide

not approved by the FDA, EMA or (as of this writing) other major regulators. It has been studied under a large Phase 3 diabetes program (AMPLITUDE) and is being advanced by Hanmi Pharmaceutical for obesity and overweight, with a stated goal of a first launch in South Korea in the second half of 2026. It is a clinical-stage prescription injectable used under medical supervision in trials, not a dietary supplement or research chemical.

A fixed-dose combination of cagrilintide (amylin analog) and semaglutide (GLP-1 agonist) studied for enhanced weight loss through dual hormonal pathways.

A cAMP signaling-biased GLP-1 receptor agonist approved in China for chronic weight management, with Phase 3 data showing up to 15.4% weight loss.

Efinopegdutide (MK-6024, formerly HM12525A and JNJ-64565111) is an investigational once-weekly subcutaneous dual agonist of the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors being developed by Merck for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH, formerly NASH) and steatotic liver disease. It is a synthetic oxyntomodulin-based peptide - a modified GLP-1/glucagon dual-agonist sequence conjugated to a human IgG4 Fc fragment through a 10 kDa polyethylene glycol linker using Hanmi Pharmaceutical's LAPSCovery half-life-extension platform, which stretches dosing to once weekly. The design pairs the GLP-1 arm (appetite suppression, glycemic control, weight loss) with a glucagon arm that raises energy expenditure and acts directly on the liver to burn hepatic fat - the feature that sets it apart from pure GLP-1 drugs. In the head-to-head Phase 2a trial in NAFLD (Journal of Hepatology, 2023), efinopegdutide 10 mg cut liver fat content by 72.7% at 24 weeks versus 42.3% for semaglutide 1 mg, with two-thirds of efinopegdutide recipients falling below the 5% liver-fat threshold that defines a normal liver. Merck holds FDA Fast Track designation for the MASH program and is running Phase 2b studies plus a dedicated trial in compensated cirrhosis due to steatohepatitis; the earlier type 2 diabetes and obesity indications were discontinued in favor of the liver focus.

Efocipegtrutide (Hanmi code HM15211) is an investigational, long-acting, once-weekly GLP-1/GIP/glucagon 'triple' receptor agonist being developed primarily for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH, formerly NASH) rather than obesity alone. It is built on Hanmi's LAPSCovery platform as a chemical conjugate of a chimeric tri-agonist peptide (TA15211) fused to a human IgG4 Fc fragment, which extends its half-life via FcRn-mediated recycling and enables weekly subcutaneous dosing. By adding glucagon-receptor activation to the GLP-1/GIP dual mechanism, efocipegtrutide is designed to combine appetite suppression and glycemic control with increased energy expenditure and direct hepatic anti-steatotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic effects. In a Phase 1b/2a study in obese subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 12 weeks of treatment reduced liver fat by roughly 20% to 59% (dose-dependent, MRI-PDFF) versus about 6% on placebo. It has FDA Fast Track designation for MASH and orphan-drug designations from the FDA and EMA for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The 52-week adaptive Phase 2 HM-TRIA-201 study (NCT04505436) in biopsy-confirmed MASH with fibrosis is the pivotal read the field is watching.

An investigational, once-daily oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist from AstraZeneca that delivered up to about 11.8% weight loss at 36 weeks in people with obesity or overweight and strong blood-sugar control in type 2 diabetes, and is now advancing into a large Phase 3 program. Unlike semaglutide and tirzepatide - which are injectable peptides - elecoglipron is a small chemical molecule that mimics the natural GLP-1 hormone at its receptor in the gut and hypothalamus, so it can be taken as a pill with no food or fasting restrictions and is easier and cheaper to manufacture at global scale than peptide drugs. In the Phase 2b VISTA trial (n=310) the 75 mg once-daily regimen produced an average body-weight reduction of 10.5% at 26 weeks (vs 0.6% placebo) that had not plateaued, reaching about 11.8% at 36 weeks, with up to 88.8% of participants achieving at least 5% weight loss. In the Phase 2b SOLSTICE trial in type 2 diabetes (n=404) the 75 mg regimen cut HbA1c by 1.9% at 26 weeks (vs 0.2% placebo) - with roughly 90% of participants reaching an HbA1c below 7% - alongside 7.7% weight loss, numerically ahead of an open-label oral semaglutide 14 mg comparator arm. Side effects were the familiar GLP-1 class gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting), mostly mild to moderate, with infrequent discontinuations and no liver safety signals. Both trials were presented at the 2026 American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions in New Orleans and published simultaneously in The Lancet, and on June 8, 2026 AstraZeneca announced elecoglipron would move into an extensive Phase 3 program - the EMBOLD obesity trials and the ELUMINATE type 2 diabetes trials (including combination with dapagliflozin), plus cardiovascular and kidney outcome studies. Elecoglipron is an investigational prescription-stage medicine - it is not approved anywhere and is not a supplement or research chemical.

The first dual GCG/GLP-1 receptor agonist approved in China for obesity and T2D, with Phase 3 showing up to 20.1% weight loss at the 9 mg dose and superiority over semaglutide.

The first oral non-peptide GLP-1 receptor agonist, FDA-approved in April 2026 for chronic weight management with no food or water restrictions.

A GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist with FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for MASH, showing strong weight loss and liver benefits in Phase 2 trials.

An investigational triple agonist (GIP/GLP-1/glucagon) studied for obesity and metabolic disease.

A GLP-1 receptor agonist FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management.

A dual GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist with FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for MASH and Priority Review NDA filed February 2026. Phase 3 SYNCHRONIZE-1 reported 16.6% weight loss at 76 weeks; approval possible Q3 2026.

A dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes, weight management, and MASH with liver fibrosis.