Moderate · human
This network meta-analysis (NMA) systematically synthesized evidence from 25 randomized controlled trials across 12 interventions to compare the weight-loss efficacy and safety of four advanced anti-obesity medications — tirzepatide, semaglutide, cagrilintide, and the combination CagriSema (cagrilintide + semaglutide) — in adults with overweight or obesity. Searches were conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Central. Using random-effects NMA models, the study found that tirzepatide 15 mg produced the greatest mean percent body weight reduction (−17.97%), closely followed by CagriSema (−17.84%) and semaglutide 7.2 mg (−14.66%). For achieving ≥20% body weight loss, CagriSema showed the highest relative risk (RR 27.82), followed by tirzepatide 15 mg (RR 23.70). All agents increased gastrointestinal adverse events (RR 1.33–1.91) relative to placebo, with the highest treatment discontinuation seen with semaglutide 7.2 mg (RR 3.09). Serious adverse events were comparable to placebo across all regimens. Key limitations include reliance on indirect comparisons due to absence of head-to-head trials, potential heterogeneity across trial populations and follow-up durations, and the emerging/limited trial data for CagriSema specifically. The authors conclude that both tirzepatide and CagriSema represent leading options for substantial weight loss but call for direct comparative trials.
Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism · Jul 2026DOI ↗ Review
This 2026 American College of Physicians (ACP) living clinical guideline synthesizes systematic reviews on pharmacologic treatments combined with lifestyle modifications for weight management in nonpregnant adults with overweight or obesity in outpatient settings, using the GRADE framework. For adults with obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²), the ACP issued conditional recommendations favoring semaglutide and tirzepatide as first-line agents (moderate-certainty evidence), phentermine-topiramate as second-line (low-certainty), liraglutide as third-line (low-certainty), and naltrexone-bupropion as fourth-line (low-certainty). For adults with overweight (BMI ≥27–30 kg/m²) who also have type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease, the guideline conditionally recommends semaglutide and tirzepatide as first-line and liraglutide as second-line. All recommendations are conditional, reflecting the importance of shared decision-making around benefits, harms, costs, access, comorbidities, contraindications (e.g., cardiovascular contraindication and monthly pregnancy-test requirement for phentermine-topiramate; suicidal ideation risk with naltrexone-bupropion), and patient preferences. The living guideline format signals ongoing updates as new evidence emerges.
Annals of internal medicine · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Strong · human
This living systematic review and network meta-analysis, commissioned by the American College of Physicians, synthesized evidence from 69 randomized controlled trials involving 112,511 adults with overweight or obesity (BMI ≥25 kg/m²) to compare pharmacologic weight-management treatments. Drugs examined included GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, liraglutide, dulaglutide, exenatide, lixisenatide), dual agonists (tirzepatide, retatrutide, semaglutide-cagrilintide), and other agents (naltrexone-bupropion, phentermine, phentermine-topiramate, orforglipron), with or without lifestyle intervention. The review found that nearly all studied interventions produced greater weight loss than placebo and/or lifestyle intervention alone. Semaglutide was found to probably reduce mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Semaglutide and tirzepatide demonstrated the greatest weight loss in both pairwise and network meta-analyses. However, nearly all active treatments were also associated with more treatment discontinuations due to adverse events compared with placebo. The authors noted that evidence for critical outcomes such as mortality, MACE, and serious adverse events remained limited, and direct head-to-head comparisons between treatments were scarce. Thirty-seven of the 69 included studies were rated at low risk of bias. The living review design allows for ongoing evidence updates as new trials emerge.
Annals of internal medicine · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Review
This systematic review, conducted for the American College of Physicians, evaluated the cost-effectiveness of pharmacologic treatments for overweight or obesity in U.S. adults. Researchers searched MEDLINE, Embase, and economic databases through October 2025, ultimately including 9 studies encompassing 42 pairwise treatment comparisons. Study quality was assessed using the CHEQUE tool, value was measured via incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) against established willingness-to-pay thresholds, and certainty of evidence was graded using GRADE. Key findings from the 6 moderate-certainty studies suggested that liraglutide had low value compared with lifestyle modification, while phentermine-topiramate and tirzepatide showed high value versus lifestyle modification. Semaglutide demonstrated low value compared with naltrexone-bupropion and phentermine-topiramate, but high value compared with liraglutide. Important limitations include that all 9 included studies were model-based rather than empirical trial-based analyses, only 4 of 9 were at low risk of bias, none of the 42 comparisons reached high certainty, and reporting was frequently incomplete. The authors conclude that current U.S. evidence on cost-effectiveness of obesity pharmacotherapy is significantly hampered by poor study quality, restricting the strength of any conclusions that can be drawn.
Annals of internal medicine · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Limited · human
This cross-sectional pharmacovigilance study analyzed 142,705 adverse event (AE) reports for GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (2015–2025), focusing on 4,090 reports linked to obesity indications. The authors found gastrointestinal events were most common, 76% of reports involved female patients, and most events onset within 0–30 days. Semaglutide showed a distinct distribution including a higher proportion of late-onset events (≥360 days), while tirzepatide showed negative reporting odds ratios for several gastrointestinal events. Strong disproportionality signals were identified for biliary, pancreatic, renal, and coagulation events. Separately, the study constructed herb-compound-target-AE networks using HERB 2.0 and the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database, applying graph convolutional network (GCN) modeling to identify herbal candidates—including Liquorice Root, Mulberry Leaf, Dahurian Angelica Root, Danshen Root, and Ginkgo Leaf—potentially associated with GLP-1 RA AE profiles. GCN performance was moderate (AUC-ROC 0.666–0.798). The authors explicitly note findings are exploratory and hypothesis-generating, with results limited by spontaneous reporting biases and computational modeling constraints. Independent experimental and clinical validation is required before any clinical application.
Scientific reports · Jun 2026DOI ↗ In vitro
This study presents a novel chemical synthesis methodology called Aryl Selenoester Aminolysis Ligation (ASAL), designed to overcome key limitations of existing peptide manufacturing approaches. Traditional solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) is costly and resource-intensive, while tag-assisted peptide synthesis (TAPS) is generally restricted to peptides of 20 residues or fewer. Fragment condensation methods for longer peptides often produce problematic epimerization (structural errors). The researchers integrated ASAL into a TAPS workflow to enable convergent, fragment-based assembly of longer therapeutic peptides in solution. They demonstrated the platform by successfully synthesizing three clinically relevant peptides of increasing complexity: teriparatide (34 residues, used in osteoporosis treatment), a sulfated thrombin-inhibiting anticoagulant TTI (32 residues), and tirzepatide (39 residues, used for type 2 diabetes and weight management). The method reportedly minimized epimerization, reduced reagent and solvent consumption, and showed promise for scalability. Limitations include the study being purely a chemistry/methods paper with no biological testing in cells, animals, or humans — all findings are based on synthetic yield, purity, and chemical characterization metrics alone.
Journal of the American Chemical Society · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Limited · human
This narrative review examined the clinical potential of tirzepatide — a dual agonist of the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR) — specifically in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), a population distinct from the type 2 diabetes and obesity contexts in which tirzepatide is already established. Researchers searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar through March 2026. Across the reviewed studies, tirzepatide was associated with reductions in HbA1c of up to 0.9%, body weight reductions of up to 23.4% (up to 9.0 kg/m² BMI reduction), increases in continuous glucose monitoring time-in-range (TIR) of up to 18.0% (primarily driven by reductions in time above range), and decreases in daily insulin requirements of up to 38 units/day. The authors noted that glycemic and weight benefits appeared to be partly, but not exclusively, mediated by weight loss. Key limitations acknowledged include that most available studies are observational in design, enrolled participants with overweight or obesity, and that randomized controlled trials in T1DM populations are still needed to confirm these findings.
Expert review of clinical pharmacology · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Limited · human
This retrospective federated cohort study used the TriNetX US Collaborative Network to examine whether GLP-1-based therapy (semaglutide or tirzepatide) was associated with lower rates of ICD-10-documented heart failure (HF) or respiratory failure (RF) in non-diabetic adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²). Patients were required to have baseline disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) use, and those with diabetes or overlapping systemic autoimmune diseases were excluded. After propensity score matching on 68 covariates (1:1), 3,483 patients remained per cohort. The study found that GLP-1-based therapy was associated with a substantially lower hazard of first post-landmark composite HF or RF events during days 91–365. In absolute terms, the primary composite occurred in 0.7% of GLP-1 users versus 1.8% of never-users, corresponding to roughly one fewer event per 100 patients. Heart failure and respiratory failure analyzed separately showed directionally consistent lower hazards, though individual event counts were small. The authors acknowledge that the findings are hypothesis-generating only, are limited by the retrospective, administrative-data design and potential residual confounding, and require prospective validation before informing clinical practice.
Clinical rheumatology · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Limited · human
This prospective, matched controlled study used continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) via FreeStyle Libre to characterize glycaemic patterns during Ramadan 2025 in 54 adults with insulin-treated diabetes. Three matched groups of 18 participants each were compared: type 2 diabetes on basal-bolus insulin alone (BB), type 2 diabetes on basal-bolus insulin plus adjunctive semaglutide or tirzepatide (BB+), and type 1 diabetes on basal-bolus insulin. CGM data were collected over 28 days pre-Ramadan and 29 days during Ramadan. The study found that dysglycaemia was predominantly driven by the post-iftar (meal-breaking) period. The BB group showed marked deterioration in glycaemic control during non-fasting hours. In contrast, the BB+ group demonstrated significantly better time-in-range (74.4% vs. 36.8%), a lower glucose management indicator (6.9% vs. 8.3%), and an approximately 61% reduction in post-iftar glucose excursions, without increased hypoglycaemia or treatment discontinuations. Limitations include a relatively small matched sample size, a single Ramadan observational period, and non-randomized group assignment, which may introduce residual confounding despite matching.
Diabetes research and clinical practice · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Limited · humanPreprint
This retrospective, propensity-score matched observational study used de-identified federated U.S. electronic health record (EHR) data to examine real-world associations of semaglutide (n=1,424) and tirzepatide (n=578) use in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) compared to 1:1 matched T1D controls (n=2,002) who did not receive these agents, over a study period from 2018–2025. Neither drug is approved for T1D. The study found that both agents were associated with statistically significant reductions in total daily insulin dose, HbA1c, and body weight at 12 and 24 months compared to controls. Greater insulin reductions were observed in semaglutide users who achieved higher weight loss or dose escalation. The pre-vs-post safety analysis identified predominantly gastrointestinal adverse events; DKA, severe hypoglycemia, pancreatitis, and retinopathy did not increase significantly overall, though patients with >30% insulin dose reduction had higher DKA rates. Semaglutide and tirzepatide exposure was associated with lower all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events versus matched controls. Key limitations include the observational design, EHR data quality constraints, off-label prescribing confounding, and preprint status, meaning findings have not yet undergone peer review.
Unknown journal · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Review
This systematic review examined existing evidence on the use of second-generation incretin analogs — specifically semaglutide (a GLP-1 receptor agonist) and tirzepatide (a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist) — in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). Researchers screened 3,053 records from six major databases and ClinicalTrials.gov, ultimately identifying 11 eligible publications. These comprised two systematic reviews, one post hoc subgroup analysis, six narrative or consensus reviews, and two LADA case reports. Three key themes emerged from the synthesis: (1) LADA is frequently misdiagnosed or diagnosis is delayed due to its heterogeneous presentation; (2) both tirzepatide and semaglutide show potential benefits in LADA and in certain T1D subtypes, particularly in individuals retaining residual beta-cell function; and (3) existing clinical management frameworks may guide practice while robust trial data are awaited. The authors concluded that current evidence is promising but moderate in quality, and that well-designed, adequately powered randomized controlled trials in clearly defined LADA and T1D populations are needed to establish long-term efficacy and safety. Notable limitations include the small number of eligible studies, the predominance of review-level and narrative publications, and only two primary patient-level reports.
Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Animal only
This mouse study investigated the molecular mechanisms by which tirzepatide (TZP), a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, affects the liver in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Male C57BL/6J mice (n=32) were fed a high-fat, high-fructose (HFHFr) diet to induce MASLD and then randomized to receive no treatment, semaglutide (Sema), or TZP. Researchers combined RNA sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to generate hepatic transcriptomic and proteomic profiles, with key targets validated by PCR and immunoblotting. The study found that HFHFr feeding produced hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, elevated liver enzymes, and hepatic steatosis and inflammation. Both TZP and Sema were associated with improvements in these parameters; TZP was associated with reductions in pro-inflammatory markers (MCP-1, IL-1β, TNF-α, GSDMD) and partial restoration of IL-10. Integrated omics analysis implicated the CCL2/CCR2 chemokine axis and PI3K-AKT signaling pathway as key molecular signatures associated with TZP's hepatic effects. Key limitations include the exclusive use of an animal model, a small sample size, and the mechanistic (non-causal) nature of omics associations.
BMC gastroenterology · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Review
This narrative review examines the continued clinical relevance of dulaglutide, a once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist, in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) amid growing adoption of newer incretin-based therapies such as semaglutide and tirzepatide. The authors synthesize evidence from major cardiovascular outcome trials, including the REWIND trial—which they highlight as the only GLP-1 receptor agonist trial to demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in a predominantly primary prevention population over more than five years—and the SURPASS-CVOT, which established tirzepatide's non-inferiority to dulaglutide for cardiovascular outcomes. The review acknowledges that semaglutide and tirzepatide show superior HbA1c reduction and weight loss compared to dulaglutide, but argues that dulaglutide's fixed-dose, no-titration regimen, established cardiovascular safety profile, real-world tolerability, and lower cost support its continued use—particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Limitations include the narrative (non-systematic) review design, which is susceptible to selection bias, and the lack of head-to-head cardiovascular outcome trials directly comparing dulaglutide to semaglutide or tirzepatide.
Diabetology international · Jun 2026DOI ↗ InsufficientPreprint
This paper presents a theoretical hypothesis arguing that current GLP-1 and dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies (e.g., semaglutide, tirzepatide) produce weight loss plateaus because they only address one side of what the authors term the "mass balance equation" — net mass inflow (NMI) — while net mass outflow (NMO) passively and actively declines over time. The authors propose a "mass balance model" (MBM) as an alternative explanatory framework to the conventional energy balance model, framing the plateau as a predictable physical consequence rather than a vague compensatory metabolic adaptation. Based on this framework, the authors hypothesize that combining an NMI-reducing agent with an NMO-stabilizing or NMO-enhancing agent could produce greater, more durable weight loss and improved body composition. Candidate NMO-targeting agents discussed include SGLT2 inhibitors, activin/myostatin pathway inhibitors, and mitochondrial uncouplers. The paper is entirely theoretical; no original experimental data, clinical trials, or systematic evidence synthesis are presented. Its primary limitation is that the MBM framework and the dual-action hypothesis remain untested in human or animal studies.
Unknown journal · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Limited · human
This case report describes the use of tirzepatide — a dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist — in a 31-year-old woman diagnosed with Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder associated with intellectual disability, behavioral dysregulation, and hyperphagia-driven obesity. The patient had a lifelong history of obesity and aggressive behaviors that had not responded adequately to standard management. Following initiation and titration of tirzepatide, the authors report that the patient achieved approximately 9.4% body weight loss (~7.3 kg) over 10 months, along with improvements in fasting glucose levels. Caregivers also noted behavioral benefits, including reduced food-seeking behavior and impulsivity, and quantitative analysis reportedly showed a significant reduction in aggression. The treatment was described as well tolerated. The authors hypothesize that tirzepatide may engage both metabolic and central nervous system pathways relevant to the SMS phenotype. Key limitations include the single-patient design, the absence of a control condition, and the inherent difficulty in attributing behavioral improvements to tirzepatide alone in a complex neurodevelopmental disorder.
JCEM case reports · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Limited · human
This retrospective cohort study used the TriNetX Global Research Network to examine whether GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) use was associated with a reduced risk of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA) diagnosed between 2010 and 2024. Patients exposed to GLP-1 RAs (either any agent or newer agents—semaglutide or tirzepatide) were propensity score matched to unexposed controls, balancing for age, sex, race, musculoskeletal diagnoses, obesity-related conditions, BMI, and healthcare access proxies. Matched cohort sizes ranged from approximately 13,000 to 42,000 patients depending on the exposure class and treatment duration analyzed (1 or 3 years). The primary outcome was cumulative TKA incidence at 1, 3, 5, and 8 years, estimated via Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models. The study found that GLP-1 RA use was associated with significantly lower TKA incidence across all subgroups, with larger reductions observed with longer treatment durations and with newer-generation agents. The authors suggest the findings are consistent with possible disease-modifying activity beyond weight loss, but acknowledge that as a retrospective observational design, causality cannot be established, and prospective randomized trials are needed.
Regional anesthesia and pain medicine · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Moderate · humanPreprint
This systematic review and meta-analysis, conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, examined the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, liraglutide) and the dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity, as measured by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The authors searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and SciSpace through May 2026 and included 40 studies involving adults with OSA receiving GLP-1–based therapies with quantitative AHI outcomes. The review found that tirzepatide was associated with greater AHI reductions (−25.3 to −29.3 events/h; approximately 50.7%–58.7%) compared with liraglutide (−12.2 events/h; ~25%), and a pooled meta-analytic estimate showed an overall AHI reduction of −16.57 events/h across therapies. The authors attributed these effects primarily to weight loss, while noting emerging evidence for potential weight-independent mechanisms. Limitations include the heterogeneity of included studies, reliance on a preprint-stage document, and the inability to fully disentangle weight-mediated versus direct effects. The authors conclude that GLP-1–based therapies, particularly tirzepatide, may represent meaningful treatment options for obesity-related OSA, especially among patients with poor CPAP adherence.
Unknown journal · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Review
This commentary examines the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) report on GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) — specifically semaglutide and tirzepatide — for obesity management, evaluating both their clinical value and the challenges surrounding their financing. The authors note that while these agents demonstrate meaningful weight loss and cardiometabolic benefits and were deemed cost-effective versus lifestyle modification alone by ICER, even modest real-world uptake surpasses ICER's annual budget impact threshold, raising access concerns. The commentary highlights that real-world persistence with these medications is notably lower than in clinical trials, leading to frequent weight regain upon discontinuation and limiting anticipated long-term medical cost offsets. Evidence on medical spending is described as mixed: cost-offset signals appear primarily in patients with both obesity and diabetes using high-potency injectable agents, while obesity-only populations may see spending increases. To address these tensions, the authors recommend pairing drug coverage with lifestyle management programs, avoiding arbitrary treatment duration limits, applying targeted prior authorization, and exploring innovative payment models. Key limitations include the commentary format, reliance on heterogeneous real-world data, and lack of primary data collection.
Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Insufficient
This scoping review, conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, examines whether GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) — including semaglutide, liraglutide, tirzepatide, and retatrutide — may interfere with autologous fat grafting outcomes. The authors note that millions of patients using GLP-1 RAs for weight loss now present to aesthetic surgeons with facial volume loss and soft tissue deflation, conditions commonly treated with fat grafting. The review synthesizes preclinical and clinical evidence on how GLP-1 RA medications affect adipocyte biology, adipose-derived stem cell (ASC) function, and tissue revascularization. The authors identify several theoretical interference points: GLP-1-mediated adipocyte "browning" and thermogenic activation (including UCP1 upregulation), enhanced lipolysis via ATGL and HSL pathways, suppression of white adipogenic differentiation in ASCs favoring beige/thermogenic lineages, and altered angiogenic and inflammatory signaling during the revascularization window critical to graft survival. The authors explicitly acknowledge that no clinical or preclinical studies have directly examined fat graft outcomes in patients receiving these therapies. The review's conclusions are framed as hypothesis-generating, and any clinical considerations offered are described as mechanism-based rather than evidence-based. This limits the paper's direct applicability to patient care.
Aesthetic surgery journal · Jun 2026DOI ↗ Limited · human
This observational pharmacovigilance study analyzed Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs) from the European EudraVigilance (EV) database to investigate whether GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, liraglutide, exenatide, lixisenatide, dulaglutide) and the dual GLP-1/GIP agonist tirzepatide are disproportionately associated with thyroid cancer-related adverse events. The study retrieved 34,956 ICSRs reported between January 2022 and September 2024. Most adverse events affected adult and elderly female patients, with gastrointestinal disorders being the most commonly reported category. Using disproportionality analysis (Reporting Odds Ratio, ROR), the study found that semaglutide had a statistically significantly lower probability of thyroid cancer-related adverse event reporting compared to tirzepatide (ROR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.37–0.81). The authors acknowledge key limitations inherent to pharmacovigilance databases, including reporting bias, confounding by indication, and the inability to establish causality. They conclude that findings must be interpreted cautiously and that further prospective studies are needed to clarify whether a true causal relationship exists between GLP-1 RAs and thyroid cancer risk.
Pharmacological reports : PR · May 2026DOI ↗