Orforglipron

Approved April 1, 2026 for chronic weight management in adults with obesity (BMI ≥30) or overweight (BMI ≥27) with at least one weight-related comorbidity. Prescription required.

Effective: April 2026

A first-in-class once-daily injectable GLP-1 receptor ANTAGONIST (exendin 9-39) from Amylyx for hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. The mirror image of GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide, it blocks GLP-1 to stop the insulin surges that cause post-bariatric hypoglycemia. Phase 3 LUCIDITY completed enrollment March 2026 with topline data expected Q3 2026.

A long-acting amylin analog studied for appetite regulation; NDA filed for CagriSema (cagrilintide + semaglutide) combination in December 2025, with FDA review expected in 2026.

An oral, once-daily small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist (developmental code HDM1002) from Huadong Medicine, in clinical trials for obesity and type 2 diabetes — part of the next wave of GLP-1 'pills' competing with orforglipron.

CX11 is an investigational once-daily oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist (Corxel/Vincentage) that produced up to 11.5% weight loss at 36 weeks in a 246-patient U.S. Phase 2 obesity trial, with a notably low 12-16% vomiting rate and no hepatic safety signal; global Phase 3 is planned after positive China Phase 3 results.

A once-weekly, long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist from Hanmi Pharmaceutical built on a different molecular backbone than semaglutide or liraglutide: instead of a modified human GLP-1, efpeglenatide uses exendin-4 - the naturally DPP-4-resistant GLP-1 mimic first found in Gila monster venom - fused to a fragment of a human antibody (an IgG4 Fc) through a small polyethylene-glycol (mini-PEG) linker using Hanmi's LAPSCOVERY half-life-extension platform. That design lets one subcutaneous injection lower blood sugar, curb appetite and reduce body weight for a full week. Efpeglenatide is best known for the landmark AMPLITUDE-O cardiovascular outcomes trial (NEJM 2021), in which 4,076 people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular or kidney disease had a 27% lower rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE hazard ratio 0.73) and a 32% lower rate of a composite kidney outcome (hazard ratio 0.68) versus placebo - the first cardiovascular outcomes win for an exendin-based GLP-1 and one of the clearest kidney signals in the class, with benefit seen regardless of whether patients were also taking an SGLT2 inhibitor. Originally licensed to Sanofi and then returned to Hanmi in 2020, efpeglenatide is now being advanced primarily for obesity and overweight, with a Phase 3 program that has completed enrollment and a targeted first launch in South Korea in the second half of 2026. It is an investigational (not yet approved) prescription medicine, not a supplement or research chemical.

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.

An oral PCSK9 inhibitor peptide that reduced LDL cholesterol by 57% in Phase 3 trials — matching injectable monoclonal antibodies in efficacy while offering once-daily pill convenience.

An oral once-daily small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist (Hengrui's HRS-7535, licensed to Kailera) that delivered up to 10.9% weight loss at Week 44 in a Chinese Phase 3 obesity trial and met its Phase 3 diabetes endpoint, now in a global Phase 2 dose-optimization study.

Amgen's once-monthly injectable GIP receptor antagonist and GLP-1 receptor agonist, showing up to 20% weight loss in phase 2 trials with a unique mechanism that blocks GIP while activating GLP-1.

An ultra-long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist designed for both once-weekly and once-monthly subcutaneous dosing, delivering double-digit weight loss with class-leading gastrointestinal tolerability in mid-stage 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.

An investigational once-weekly injectable dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist - the same peptide class as tirzepatide (Zepbound/Mounjaro) - developed by China's Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals as HRS9531 and licensed to U.S.-based Kailera Therapeutics, which is developing it globally (outside Greater China) as KAI-9531. In the pivotal 48-week Phase 3 GEMINI-1 trial in China (NCT06396429; 567 adults with obesity or overweight without diabetes), once-weekly HRS9531 produced mean weight loss of about 17.4-19.2% at the 4 mg and 6 mg doses (per-protocol/hypothetical estimand) versus roughly 1.4% for placebo, with about 44% of 6 mg patients losing at least 20% of body weight and broad improvements in blood pressure, lipids, insulin resistance, and inflammation (hsCRP). An earlier Phase 2 trial reported about 23.6% mean weight loss at the higher 8 mg dose by week 36 with no plateau. Hengrui has submitted a marketing application to China's NMPA for chronic weight management, and Kailera began a global Phase 3 program (KAI-9531) evaluating higher maintenance doses (8 mg and 10 mg) and longer treatment by late 2025. HRS9531/KAI-9531 is investigational, is not approved outside of any regulatory review in China, and is not a supplement or research chemical; it is studied only in clinical trials.