Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Based Therapies: A New Horizon in Obesity Management.
This review article examines the evolving landscape of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-based therapies for obesity management. The authors describe how obesity, a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, often resists traditional lifestyle interventions, motivating the development of more targeted pharmacological approaches. The review focuses on incretin mimetics — drugs that mimic nutrient-stimulated hormones — which act on G-protein-coupled receptors including GLP-1, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), and glucagon receptors. Specific agents highlighted include semaglutide and tirzepatide, as well as emerging multiagonist compounds such as GLP-1/glucagon and GIP/GLP-1/glucagon receptor co-agonists. The authors argue that glucagon receptor activation in particular represents a meaningful frontier in the field. The review surveys clinical efficacy data, neuroendocrine mechanisms, and signaling pathways underlying these therapies, while also outlining remaining challenges and future research directions. As a narrative review, it synthesizes existing literature rather than presenting original trial data, and does not conduct a formal meta-analysis. Its conclusions are therefore dependent on the quality and selection of the underlying primary studies reviewed.