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Peptide Evidence Registry

GLP-1 Centre

The one corner of this site where the hype mostly matches the data

Incretin medicines are unusual in peptide-land: they have large randomised trials, regulatory scrutiny and real outcome data. That does not make them simple, interchangeable or risk-free — and trial averages are not personal forecasts.

No dosing, no protocols, no titration plans

This page compares evidence, not treatment plans. Dose selection, escalation and monitoring are clinical decisions that depend on your history — they belong with a prescriber, not a website.

If you arrived looking for one compound, start with the full profiles for retatrutide evidence profile, tirzepatide evidence profile or semaglutide evidence profile. If you arrived with a specific statement you read somewhere, the Claim Checker grades individual claims rather than whole compounds.

Regulatory status is jurisdiction-, product-, formulation- and indication-specific. An approval in one country does not imply approval elsewhere or for every use. Regulatory status is separate from efficacy evidence, safety and recommendations. An investigational medicine is one still being tested in trials — that is not the same as nearly approved or proven, and legal status on its own says nothing about how well a compound works or how safe it is. “Confidence” here means how settled the evidence base looks, not confidence that a medicine will work for you.

Semaglutide

Ozempic · Wegovy · Rybelsus

L5Repeated human trials

A GLP-1 receptor agonist with one of the largest clinical trial programmes in modern metabolic medicine.

Approved medicine (jurisdiction-specific) · See jurisdiction detailsHigh confidence in rating
Receptor targets
GLP-1 receptor
How far human research has progressed
Approved, multiple completed Phase 3 programmes and cardiovascular outcome trials
Regulatory status
Approved in multiple regions for type 2 diabetes and, in separate formulations, for weight management. In March 2024 the FDA approved Wegovy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke in adults with established cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity, and in August 2025 granted accelerated approval for Wegovy in adults with noncirrhotic MASH with moderate-to-advanced (F2-F3) fibrosis. On 22 December 2025 the FDA approved a once-daily oral semaglutide 25 mg Wegovy tablet for chronic weight management, launched in January 2026; the European Commission approved the Wegovy tablet and a 7.2 mg injection/pen in July 2026. Every approval is product- and indication-specific. On a US legal point, the Fifth Circuit upheld FDA's semaglutide shortage-list determination in an opinion revised on 1 September 2026. That reinforces the shortage delisting and the end of shortage-based routine copying of the approved products; it does not make every form of individually tailored compounding categorically unlawful, as narrow statutory exceptions can still apply. This is legal and regulatory evidence, not efficacy or safety evidence.
Shown in trials
  • · Weight reduction versus placebo in randomised trials
  • · HbA1c reduction in type 2 diabetes
  • · Cardiovascular risk reduction in specified higher-risk populations
Claimed online, not established
  • · Addiction and 'anti-craving' effects
  • · That changes in aging-related biomarkers prove human rejuvenation or lifespan extension
  • · That compounded or research-market semaglutide carries the same evidence as the approved products
Human efficacy evidence strength95 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more and better-quality human evidence. It does not mean the effect is bigger or that the compound works for you.

Human safety evidence strength88 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more mature, better-documented human safety data. It does not mean the compound is safer than one with a lower number.

Full evidence profile

Tirzepatide

Mounjaro · Zepbound · GIP/GLP-1 dual agonist

L5Repeated human trials

A dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist with strong Phase 3 weight and glycaemic data.

Approved medicine (jurisdiction-specific) · See jurisdiction detailsHigh confidence in rating
Receptor targets
GLP-1 receptor · GIP receptor
How far human research has progressed
Approved, large completed Phase 3 programme
Regulatory status
Approved in multiple regions for type 2 diabetes (Mounjaro) and, under a separate brand (Zepbound), for chronic weight management. In December 2024 the FDA approved Zepbound as the first medication for obstructive sleep apnoea in adults with obesity. Additional indications vary by regulator. On 27 August 2026 the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld FDA's determination that tirzepatide is no longer in shortage, rejecting a challenge brought by compounding interests. The practical effect is to reinforce the shortage delisting and the end of shortage-based routine copying of the approved product; it does not mean every form of individually tailored compounding is categorically unlawful, since narrow statutory exceptions can still apply. This is legal and regulatory evidence about US supply routes, not efficacy or safety evidence about the molecule.
Shown in trials
  • · Large average weight reduction in randomised trials
  • · HbA1c reduction in type 2 diabetes
  • · Improvement in obstructive sleep apnoea severity in trial populations
Claimed online, not established
  • · Guaranteed superiority for every individual
  • · Fat loss without any lean mass loss
Human efficacy evidence strength92 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more and better-quality human evidence. It does not mean the effect is bigger or that the compound works for you.

Human safety evidence strength80 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more mature, better-documented human safety data. It does not mean the compound is safer than one with a lower number.

Full evidence profile

Retatrutide

LY3437943 · triple agonist

L4Good human trials

An investigational GIP/GLP-1/glucagon triple agonist with positive pivotal Phase 3 results and no approval anywhere.

In clinical trialsHigh confidence in rating
Receptor targets
GLP-1 receptor · GIP receptor · Glucagon receptor
How far human research has progressed
Pivotal Phase 3 results reported (2026); investigational, not approved
Regulatory status
Not approved in any region. Pivotal Phase 3 results from the TRIUMPH programme were reported in 2026, but positive trial results are not an approval: no regulator has yet licensed it and long-term safety data are still accumulating. Anything sold to the public as 'retatrutide' today is outside approved medical supply. On 24 August 2026 the FDA issued warning letters to US vendors — Royal Peptides LLC, Peptide Partners LLC and TXP Innovations LLC (Tex Peptides) — identifying products marketed as retatrutide as unapproved new drugs, and noting that injectable products sold this way are especially concerning because injection bypasses key body defences. This is regulatory and supply-chain evidence, not evidence that pharmaceutical-grade retatrutide has developed a new toxicity signal. FDA also states explicitly that retatrutide cannot be used in compounding under US federal law, because it is not an FDA-approved drug and is not on a bulk drug substances list permitted for compounding. Again, that is a legal and compounding-status point, not a finding about efficacy or intrinsic toxicity.
Shown in trials
  • · Large weight reduction in pivotal Phase 3 trials (sponsor-reported topline)
  • · HbA1c reduction in type 2 diabetes trials
Claimed online, not established
  • · Safe for unsupervised long-term self-administration
  • · Proven superiority over approved options in routine care
Human efficacy evidence strength82 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more and better-quality human evidence. It does not mean the effect is bigger or that the compound works for you.

Human safety evidence strength45 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more mature, better-documented human safety data. It does not mean the compound is safer than one with a lower number.

Full evidence profile

Liraglutide

Victoza · Saxenda

L5Repeated human trials

The older once-daily GLP-1 agonist, with long real-world follow-up and modest effect sizes.

Approved medicine (jurisdiction-specific) · See jurisdiction detailsHigh confidence in rating
Receptor targets
GLP-1 receptor
How far human research has progressed
Approved, long post-marketing history
Regulatory status
Approved for type 2 diabetes and, in a separate formulation, weight management.
Shown in trials
  • · Weight reduction
  • · HbA1c reduction
  • · Cardiovascular risk reduction in defined groups
Claimed online, not established
  • · Equivalent weight outcomes to newer weekly agents
Human efficacy evidence strength88 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more and better-quality human evidence. It does not mean the effect is bigger or that the compound works for you.

Human safety evidence strength92 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more mature, better-documented human safety data. It does not mean the compound is safer than one with a lower number.

Full evidence profile

Cagrilintide

amylin analogue · component of combination therapy

L4Good human trials

A long-acting amylin analogue, now in its own Phase 3 programme as well as in combination therapy.

In clinical trialsModerate confidence in rating
Receptor targets
Amylin receptors · Calcitonin receptor
How far human research has progressed
Phase 3 (RENEW) as monotherapy; also studied within a fixed-dose combination
Regulatory status
Investigational and not approved anywhere. Standalone cagrilintide has entered the RENEW Phase 3 programme. It is also one half of CagriSema, a separate fixed-dose combination with semaglutide — the combination has its own trials and its own regulatory filing, and results do not transfer between them. FDA states explicitly that cagrilintide cannot be used in compounding under US federal law, because it is not an FDA-approved drug and is not on a bulk drug substances list permitted for compounding. That is a compounding and legal-status point about US supply routes — it is not a finding about how well cagrilintide works, and not a new intrinsic-toxicity finding about the molecule.
Shown in trials
  • · Weight reduction as monotherapy in a Phase 3 trial arm
  • · Additive weight reduction in combination trials
Claimed online, not established
  • · Standalone superiority to GLP-1 therapy
Human efficacy evidence strength68 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more and better-quality human evidence. It does not mean the effect is bigger or that the compound works for you.

Human safety evidence strength45 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more mature, better-documented human safety data. It does not mean the compound is safer than one with a lower number.

Full evidence profile

Mazdutide

IBI362 · LY3305677 · GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist

L4Good human trials

A GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist developed largely in Chinese trial populations.

Approved in some countries only · See jurisdiction detailsModerate confidence in rating
Receptor targets
GLP-1 receptor · Glucagon receptor
How far human research has progressed
Approved in China (2025); development status elsewhere not established
Regulatory status
Approved in China by the NMPA: for chronic weight management in June 2025, and for glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes in September 2025. Not approved in the US, UK or EU — a regional approval, not a global one.
Shown in trials
  • · Weight reduction in randomised trials
  • · Liver fat reduction in trial populations
Claimed online, not established
  • · Established global efficacy and safety equivalence with approved agents
Human efficacy evidence strength60 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more and better-quality human evidence. It does not mean the effect is bigger or that the compound works for you.

Human safety evidence strength42 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more mature, better-documented human safety data. It does not mean the compound is safer than one with a lower number.

Full evidence profile

Brenipatide

LY3537031 · GIP/GLP-1 dual receptor agonist

L1Theory only

An investigational dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist now in Phase 3 trials for alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder, with no efficacy results published.

In clinical trialsVery low confidence in rating
Receptor targets
GIP receptor · GLP-1 receptor
How far human research has progressed
Two Phase 3 trials in alcohol use disorder recruiting since October 2025 (estimated primary completion April 2028); no Phase 3 results posted, and no earlier-phase results are established in our curated record
Regulatory status
Not approved anywhere, for any indication. Brenipatide is not approved for alcohol use disorder, major depressive disorder, diabetes, obesity or any other use. Lilly's public pipeline lists it as a biologic entity in Phase 3 development for alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder. Registered late-stage trials mean a sponsor is testing a hypothesis formally — they are not a regulatory decision and not evidence that the hypothesis is correct.
Shown in trials
  • · None yet — no Phase 3 efficacy results have been posted for any indication
Claimed online, not established
  • · Reduced alcohol craving or drinking in people
  • · Treatment of alcohol use disorder or depression
  • · Weight-loss medicine (not what this programme is testing)
Human efficacy evidence strength12 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more and better-quality human evidence. It does not mean the effect is bigger or that the compound works for you.

Human safety evidence strength8 of 100 evidence strength

Higher = more mature, better-documented human safety data. It does not mean the compound is safer than one with a lower number.

Full evidence profile

Pipeline entries that are not conventional peptides

These belong in this class conversation but not in the peptide A–Z, because they are not conventional peptides: one is a small molecule, one is a fixed-dose combination of two peptides, one is an antibody-peptide conjugate. Labelling them accurately matters more than tidy filing.

Orforglipron

Foundayo · LY3502970

Authorised in the UK (10 August 2026)

Oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist — not a peptide. It is taken as a tablet and made by conventional chemical synthesis, which is why it is not in the peptide A-Z.

The MHRA authorised orforglipron in the UK on 10 August 2026 for weight management and weight maintenance in eligible adults, and for adults with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes. For UK readers this is the most consequential recent change in this class: a GLP-1 receptor agonist that is a tablet rather than an injection, and that does not depend on peptide manufacturing capacity.

A national authorisation means a regulator judged the benefit-risk balance acceptable for defined uses. ACHIEVE-4 has now added a large Phase 3 cardiovascular-safety comparison with insulin glargine: the primary cardiovascular objective was non-inferiority, alongside sustained A1C and weight effects. Exploratory/pre-planned mortality analyses are hypothesis-generating and should not be read as proof of mortality superiority.

Last reviewed 2026-10-01

CagriSema

cagrilintide + semaglutide fixed-dose combination

Investigational — US NDA submitted December 2025

A fixed-dose combination of two peptides in one injection — not a single new peptide. Each component has its own evidence base, and the combination has its own trials; they are not interchangeable.

CagriSema combines the amylin analogue cagrilintide with semaglutide. A new drug application was submitted to the FDA in December 2025. It remains investigational: a filing is the start of a review, not an approval.

Keep this distinct from cagrilintide on its own, which is now in its own standalone Phase 3 programme. Trial results for the combination do not transfer to either component used alone.

Last reviewed 2026-09-06

MariTide

maridebart cafraglutide · AMG 133

Investigational — multiple Phase 3 trials ongoing in 2026

An antibody-peptide conjugate — a monoclonal antibody with peptides attached — not a conventional peptide. Its very long duration of action comes from the antibody component.

MariTide pairs GLP-1 receptor agonism with GIP receptor antagonism, the opposite GIP direction to tirzepatide — a genuinely different bet on how incretin biology works. Several MARITIME Phase 3 trials were ongoing during 2026, including weight management, cardiovascular, heart failure, sleep apnoea and switch studies.

Not approved in any region. A broad Phase 3 programme reflects sponsor confidence and unmet need, not demonstrated benefit; the pivotal outcomes have not been established.

Last reviewed 2026-09-06

Semaglutide and biological aging: what the 2026 evidence actually shows

Aging biomarkers are not lifespan. A favourable change in an epigenetic clock can be biologically interesting without proving rejuvenation, prevention of age-related disease or longer survival in humans.

Randomised human biomarker evidence

Epigenetic aging in HIV-associated lipohypertrophy

Post hoc analysis of a 32-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2b trial. Paired blood samples were available for 84 participants (45 semaglutide, 39 placebo). Semaglutide was associated with lower estimates across several second- and third-generation DNA-methylation clocks, including a 0.09 lower DunedinPACE value, described by the authors as approximately 9% slower pace of biological aging.

Limitation: Epigenetic aging was exploratory and not a prespecified endpoint. The study was small, used a specific population with HIV-associated lipohypertrophy, lasted 32 weeks, and reported p-values that were not adjusted for multiple comparisons. It does not establish rejuvenation or longer human lifespan.

Primary paper

Corley MJ et al. Nature Communications. 2026;17:6606. doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72861-3

Human pilot biomarker evidence

SLIM LIVER epigenetic-aging pilot

A 24-week pilot analysis in people with HIV and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease examined DNA-methylation aging measures during semaglutide treatment and reported associations between changes in aging-related biomarkers and metabolic treatment response.

Limitation: This was a small pilot analysis without a placebo comparison for the epigenetic-aging question, so it cannot establish that semaglutide caused the observed biomarker changes or that they translate into improved longevity.

Primary paper

Corley MJ et al. npj Aging. 2026;12:88. doi:10.1038/s41514-026-00383-9

Preclinical lifespan evidence

Late-life semaglutide in aged female mice

Semaglutide started at 20 months of age improved physiological measures, attenuated several hallmarks of aging and, with continued treatment, extended lifespan in female C57BL/6 mice. The study also identified effects on nutrient-sensing pathways and induction of Oser1, a conserved FOXO-regulated longevity-associated gene.

Limitation: This is mouse evidence, not human lifespan evidence. The lifespan experiment was conducted in female mice, and translation of magnitude, mechanism or survival benefit to humans has not been established.

Primary paper

Feng Y et al. Nature. 2026;657:469-476. doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10940-7

Established

Semaglutide has randomised human evidence that it can alter several DNA-methylation biomarkers associated with biological aging in one specific clinical population.

Plausible, not proven

Reduced visceral adiposity, inflammation and metabolic stress are plausible mediators, and late-life mouse experiments support effects on multiple aging-related pathways.

Not established

Semaglutide has not been shown to make humans biologically younger, reverse aging, or extend human lifespan.

Three things people get wrong about this class

Approved does not mean identical

Semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide have different receptor targets, effect sizes and evidence bases. 'GLP-1' is a class, not a single product.

Investigational is not 'nearly approved'

Retatrutide's trial numbers are striking, but efficacy in a monitored trial and long-term safety in unsupervised use are different questions entirely.

Feeling less is not failing

Appetite suppression fading is adaptation, not treatment failure. Judge the drug on measured outcomes, not on sensation.