Peptides for weight loss

What this archive is for. Trials of the compound come first, ranked by how many people were actually given it. Studies that only observed people are below them and labelled.

1. 01TirzepatidePeptideStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 9 completed trials, 22,802 people given it.11 reported

   6,026 people given it4 trials

   • It worked, and the dose mattered. Around 2,500 adults with obesity and no diabetes took a weekly tirzepatide shot at one of three strengths, or a dummy shot, for about seventeen months. The dummy group finished about 3% lighter. On tirzepatide people finished 15%, 20% or 21% lighter, rising with the dose. Everyone here was free of diabetes, so this is a weight result and not a blood sugar one.

     The numbers 2,539 adults without diabetes: mean weight change at 72 weeks of -15.0% (5 mg), -19.5% (10 mg) and -20.9% (15 mg) versus -3.1% with placebo.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2022· 2,539 people

   • Tirzepatide beat semaglutide head to head on blood sugar. Nearly 1,900 people with type 2 diabetes took one drug or the other for about nine months. Every tirzepatide dose brought average blood sugar down further than semaglutide did. People on the strongest tirzepatide dose also lost up to 5.5 kg more, which is about 12 pounds. One thing matters here. The semaglutide dose used was 1 mg, lower than the 2.4 mg dose people take for weight loss.

     The numbers 1,879 patients over 40 weeks: all tirzepatide doses were noninferior and superior to semaglutide 1 mg for HbA1c, with greater weight loss (up to -5.5 kg more at 15 mg).

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2021· 1,879 people

   • Tirzepatide produced large weight loss in people who also had type 2 diabetes. 938 adults took the weekly shot or a dummy one for 72 weeks, and nobody involved knew which. Those on the drug lost about 12.8% of their body weight at the middle dose and 14.7% at the top dose. The dummy group lost 3.2%. Around eight in ten on the drug lost at least 5% of their weight, against three in ten on the dummy.

     The numbers 938 adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes over 72 weeks: least-squares mean weight change -12.8% (10 mg) and -14.7% (15 mg) versus -3.2% on placebo; 79% to 83% versus 32% lost at least 5%.

     The Lancet, 2023· 938 people

   • Stopping tirzepatide undoes most of the weight loss. Everyone took the drug openly for 36 weeks first and lost about 20.9% of their body weight. Then 670 people were split by chance to keep going or to switch to a dummy shot. Over the next year those who kept taking it lost another 5.5%. Those who switched gained 14.0% back. The gap of 19.4 percentage points came from stopping, and from nothing else.

     The numbers 670 participants randomized after a 36-week lead-in in which they lost a mean 20.9%: weight change from week 36 to 88 was -5.5% on continued tirzepatide versus +14.0% on placebo, a difference of 19.4 percentage points.

     JAMA, 2024· 670 people

   What people using it report

   • A rate of loss of roughly half a percent to one percent of body weight per week is repeatedly described as the normal pace, and slower loss is commonly recommended by other users as the way to limit loose skin. People who lose faster than that describe being uneasy about it.
2. 02SemaglutidePeptideStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 12 completed trials, 42,363 people given it.10 reported

   5,688 people given it5 trials

   • It worked, and this is the trial that made semaglutide famous for weight loss. Nearly two thousand adults without diabetes took a weekly shot of either semaglutide or a dummy version for about sixteen months. Nobody involved knew which. The semaglutide group finished roughly 15% lighter. The dummy group finished roughly 2% lighter. Almost nine in ten people on the drug lost at least 5% of the weight they started with.

     The numbers 1,961 adults without diabetes: mean body weight change of -14.9% at 68 weeks with semaglutide 2.4 mg versus -2.4% with placebo; 86.4% lost 5% or more.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2021· 1,961 people

   • A bigger weekly dose took off a little more weight, and cost more side effects. Just over 1,400 adults with obesity took semaglutide at 7.2 mg, semaglutide at the usual 2.4 mg, or a dummy injection for about seventeen months. The high dose group finished roughly 19% lighter, the usual dose roughly 16% lighter, and the dummy group roughly 4% lighter. About one in five on the high dose reported burning or prickling skin sensations.

     The numbers 1,407 adults: -18.7% body weight at 72 weeks on 7.2 mg versus -15.6% on 2.4 mg and -3.9% on placebo; dysaesthesia reported by 22.9% on 7.2 mg.

     The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2025· 1,407 people

   • Semaglutide still worked when people also had diabetes, though the weight loss was smaller. About 1,200 adults with extra weight and type 2 diabetes got the weekly shot or a dummy one, and nobody involved knew which. After 68 weeks the drug group had lost about a tenth of their body weight and the dummy group about 3%. Roughly seven in ten on the drug lost at least 5% of their weight, against under three in ten.

     The numbers 1,210 adults with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes: estimated body weight change -9.6% on semaglutide 2.4 mg versus -3.4% on placebo at 68 weeks; 68.8% versus 28.5% lost at least 5%.

     The Lancet, 2021· 1,210 people

   • Stop the drug and the weight comes back. Everyone spent 20 weeks building up to the full dose and losing weight first. Then 803 people were split by chance: two thirds carried on with semaglutide, one third switched to a dummy shot. Over the next 48 weeks the people who kept taking it lost another 7.9% of their weight. The people who switched gained 6.9% back. That is a gap of nearly 15 percentage points, from stopping alone.

     The numbers 803 participants randomized 2:1 after a 20-week run-in: weight change from week 20 to 68 was -7.9% on continued semaglutide versus +6.9% after switching to placebo, a difference of 14.8 percentage points.

     JAMA, 2021· 803 people

3. 03CagriSemaPeptideStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 4,954 people given it.8 reported

   4,623 people given it2 trials

   • This is about as strong as obesity evidence gets. 3,417 adults took the combination or a dummy injection for about 16 months. On the drug they lost roughly a fifth of their body weight. On the dummy they lost about 3 percent. In plain terms, someone starting at 220 pounds ended up around 45 pounds lighter. A second way of counting, which asks what happens to people who stay on treatment, puts the loss a little higher still.

     The numbers 3,417 adults: 20.4% weight loss at 68 weeks versus 3.0% with placebo (treatment-policy estimand); 22.7% by trial-product estimand.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2025· 3,417 people

   • The same combination worked in people who also had type 2 diabetes, and it worked less well. 1,206 patients took it or a dummy for about 16 months. They lost close to 14 percent of their weight, against roughly 3 percent on the dummy. Weight drugs reliably do less in diabetes than outside it, and this is that pattern again. Less than a fifth is still a great deal of weight.

     The numbers 1,206 patients with type 2 diabetes: 13.7% weight loss at 68 weeks versus 3.4% with placebo.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2025· 1,206 people

4. 04LiraglutidePeptideStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 6 completed trials, 16,760 people given it.9 reported

   4,577 people given it2 trials

   • Liraglutide at the obesity dose took off real weight, though less than the headlines suggest. 3,731 adults without diabetes took the 3.0 mg shot or a dummy shot for just over a year. Average weight loss was 8.4 kg on the drug and 2.8 kg on the dummy, so about 5.6 kg of it came from the drug. Roughly two thirds lost at least a twentieth of their body weight, against a quarter on the dummy. The trial ran a year, so nobody was watched longer than that.

     The numbers 3,731 adults without diabetes: mean weight loss of 8.4 kg with liraglutide 3.0 mg vs 2.8 kg with placebo at 56 weeks; 63.2% vs 27.1% lost at least 5%. Basis of the Saxenda obesity approval.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2015· 3,731 people

   • Liraglutide took off a modest amount of weight in people with type 2 diabetes. 846 adults took the daily shot at one of two doses or a dummy one for 56 weeks. Nobody involved knew which. The higher dose took off 6.0% of body weight, the lower dose 4.7%, and the dummy 2.0%. A quarter of the people on the higher dose lost more than a tenth of their weight, against under seven in a hundred on the dummy.

     The numbers 846 adults with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes over 56 weeks: weight loss 6.0% on liraglutide 3.0 mg and 4.7% on 1.8 mg versus 2.0% on placebo, with more than 10% lost by 25.2% versus 6.7%.

     JAMA, 2015· 846 people

5. 05Retatrutide with cagrilintideBlendStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 4 completed trials, 4,557 people given it.6 reported

   3,755 people given it2 trials

   • A properly developed amylin and gut hormone pairing does exist. It has been tested in a very large study, and it is not this one. 3,417 people took cagrilintide with semaglutide, mixed by the maker, or a dummy shot. After about 16 months average weight was down 20.4%, against 3.0% on the dummy. That is a gap of more than 17 points. Stomach and bowel side effects hit about 80 in every 100 people on the pair, against 40 in 100 on the dummy. That is the cost side.

     The numbers REDEFINE 1, 3,417 participants. Estimated mean weight change from baseline to week 68 was 20.4% on cagrilintide-semaglutide against 3.0% on placebo, a difference of 17.3 percentage points. Gastrointestinal adverse events affected 79.6% of the combination group against 39.9% on placebo. A developed, co-formulated amylin and incretin combination does exist and has been trialled at scale; it is not this one.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2025· 3,417 people

   • Retatrutide caused very large weight loss, in an early, fairly small study. 338 adults with obesity took a weekly shot at one of four strengths, or a dummy shot, for 11 months. Average weight fell 8.7% at the lowest dose and 24.2% at the highest, against 2.1% on the dummy. At the top dose more than four in five lost at least a sixth of their body weight. Stomach and bowel upsets were common and rose with the dose. So did resting heart rate.

     The numbers 338 adults with obesity. Least-squares mean weight change at 48 weeks was 8.7% on 1 mg, 17.1% on 4 mg, 22.8% on 8 mg and 24.2% on 12 mg, against 2.1% on placebo. At 12 mg, 83% lost 15% or more of body weight against 2% on placebo. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal, dose-related, and partially mitigated by a lower 2 mg starting dose. Dose-dependent increases in heart rate were reported. Retatrutide alone.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2023· 338 people

   What people using it report

   • Fast weight loss with visible muscle loss, from people not lifting weights.
6. 06Semaglutide with cagrilintideBlendStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 4 completed trials, 4,219 people given it.6 reported

   3,417 people given it2 trials

   • This is the pair itself, tested as a pair, and it worked. 3,417 people were put by chance on cagrilintide with semaglutide, on either drug alone, or on a dummy shot. After about 16 months average weight was down 20.4% on the pair, against 3.0% on the dummy. That is a gap of more than 17 points. Stomach and bowel side effects reached about 80 in every 100 people on the pair, against 40 in 100 on the dummy. They were mostly mild and short-lived.

     The numbers REDEFINE 1. 3,417 participants randomised to cagrilintide-semaglutide, semaglutide alone, cagrilintide alone or placebo. Estimated mean body weight change to week 68 was 20.4% on the combination against 3.0% on placebo, a difference of 17.3 percentage points. Gastrointestinal adverse events affected 79.6% of the combination group against 39.9% on placebo, mainly transient and mild to moderate. This is the combination itself, tested as a combination.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2025· 3,417 people

   • Semaglutide by itself takes off close to a seventh of body weight. That is the bar the pair has to clear. Adults took a weekly 2.4 mg shot or a dummy shot for about 16 months. Average weight fell 14.9% on the drug, against 2.4% on the dummy. This is semaglutide alone, not the pair. Any claim for adding cagrilintide has to be measured against this number, not against doing nothing.

     The numbers STEP 1. Semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly gave a 14.9% mean weight change at 68 weeks against 2.4% on placebo. This is the single-agent comparator that the combination is measured against.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2021· number of people not given

   What people using it report

   • Fast early weight loss, then a plateau.
7. 07MazdutidePeptideStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 5 completed trials, 2,372 people given it.7 reported

   2,052 people given it4 trials

   • Head to head against an established diabetes drug, mazdutide won on both blood sugar and weight. Seven hundred and thirty-one Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes were given mazdutide at one of two doses or dulaglutide for about seven months. Both mazdutide doses lowered average blood sugar more than dulaglutide did. They also took off 3.8 to 5.8 percentage points more body weight. The dulaglutide dose used was 1.5 mg, which is not the highest dose that drug is licensed at.

     The numbers Phase 3 in 731 adults: both mazdutide doses were superior to dulaglutide 1.5 mg for HbA1c and produced 3.8 to 5.8 percentage points more weight loss at 28 weeks.

     Nature, 2026· 731 people

   • Mazdutide caused substantial weight loss in a large late stage trial. Six hundred and ten Chinese adults carrying extra weight were given one of two doses or a dummy injection once a week for about eight months. The lower dose group lost 10.1% of body weight and the higher dose group 12.6%. The dummy group gained 0.5%. For someone of 90 kg the higher dose is about 11 kg lost. Everyone here was Chinese, so other populations are a separate question.

     The numbers Phase 3 in 610 adults: mean weight change of minus 10.1% (4 mg) and minus 12.6% (6 mg) versus plus 0.5% on placebo at week 32.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2025· 610 people

   • Mazdutide produced large weight loss at its highest dose, and made a lot of people vomit. 461 adults at 27 Chinese hospitals got the weekly shot or a dummy one for 60 weeks, two to one. Nobody involved knew which. The drug group lost 16.65% of their body weight against 1.50% on the dummy, and 84.3% lost at least a twentieth of their weight against 33.1%. Vomiting hit 53.1% against 1.3% and nausea 46.9% against 3.2%.

     The numbers 461 treated participants at 27 hospitals over 60 weeks: mean weight change -16.65% versus -1.50% on placebo and 84.3% versus 33.1% losing at least 5%. Vomiting in 53.1% versus 1.3% and nausea in 46.9% versus 3.2%.

     JAMA, 2026· 461 people

   • Mazdutide beat a dummy shot on blood sugar and edged an older drug, in a short mid-stage trial. 250 Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes were treated for 20 weeks. Average blood sugar over three months fell between 1.41 and 1.67 points across mazdutide doses, against 1.35 on dulaglutide and no change at all on the dummy. Weight fell up to 7.1%. Low blood sugar was reported by 10% against 8% on the dummy. Twenty weeks is a short look.

     The numbers 250 adults over 20 weeks: HbA1c -1.41% to -1.67% across mazdutide doses versus -1.35% on dulaglutide and +0.03% on placebo, with weight change up to -7.1%. Hypoglycaemia 10% versus 8% on placebo.

     Diabetes Care, 2024· 250 people

8. 08CagrilintidePeptideStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 5 completed trials, 5,752 people given it.7 reported

   2,004 people given it3 trials

   • In a large late-stage trial the pair took off substantial weight and pulled most people's blood sugar into range. 1,206 adults with extra weight and type 2 diabetes took CagriSema or a dummy injection for about sixteen months. Body weight fell 13.7% on the drug and 3.4% on the dummy. Nearly three quarters got their average blood sugar down to 6.5% or lower. Everyone in this trial had diabetes. Sixteen months is a long trial and still says nothing about a decade.

     The numbers Phase 3a, 1,206 patients: -13.7% body weight at 68 weeks with CagriSema vs -3.4% with placebo; 73.5% reached HbA1c of 6.5% or lower.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2025· 1,206 people

   • Cagrilintide on its own took off weight, and its top dose edged out an approved drug. 706 adults carrying extra weight took cagrilintide at one of several doses, a dummy injection, or liraglutide, for six months. Weight fell between 6.0% and 10.8% depending on dose, against 3.0% on the dummy. At 4.5 mg it beat liraglutide, 10.8% against 9.0%. This was a study to find the right dose, not to settle the question. Six months tells you nothing about keeping weight off.

     The numbers 706 participants over 26 weeks: cagrilintide monotherapy produced 6.0% to 10.8% weight loss across doses vs 3.0% with placebo; 4.5 mg beat liraglutide 3.0 mg (10.8% vs 9.0%).

     The Lancet, 2021· 706 people

   • Adding cagrilintide to semaglutide roughly doubled weight loss in a small early trial. 92 adults with type 2 diabetes took the pair, or semaglutide alone, or cagrilintide alone, for eight months. The pair took off 15.6% of body weight. Semaglutide alone took off 5.1% and cagrilintide alone 8.1%. This was an early study in fewer than a hundred people, all of them diabetic. It is far too small to tell you how often the side effects happen or who they happen to.

     The numbers 92 adults with type 2 diabetes over 32 weeks: body weight change of -15.6% with CagriSema vs -5.1% with semaglutide alone and -8.1% with cagrilintide alone (NCT04982575).

     The Lancet, 2023· 92 people

9. 09SurvodutidePeptideStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 5 completed trials, 2,034 people given it.7 reported

   1,741 people given it4 trials

   • Survodutide produced substantial weight loss in a large trial built to modern standards. It gave 725 adults with obesity and no diabetes a weekly injection at one of two doses, or a dummy injection, for about eighteen months. People on the drug lost around an eighth of their body weight. People on the dummy injection lost around a twentieth. Stomach and bowel side effects were close to universal on the higher dose and hit under half on the dummy. Nobody died.

     The numbers SYNCHRONIZE-1, 725 adults over 76 weeks: weight change minus 12.2% at 3.6 mg, minus 13.0% at 6.0 mg and minus 5.4% on placebo, with at least 5% loss in 72.6%, 71.9% and 46.3%. Gastrointestinal adverse events in 80.9%, 89.7% and 47.9%.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2026· 725 people

   • Against semaglutide, survodutide matched it on blood sugar, beat it on weight, and cost more in side effects. The trial put 413 people with type 2 diabetes on one of six survodutide doses, on semaglutide, or on a dummy injection for four months. Average blood sugar fell by about the same amount on both drugs. Weight fell further on the highest survodutide dose. Side effects hit around three quarters on survodutide and about half on semaglutide. Everyone knew who was getting semaglutide.

     The numbers 413 randomized over 16 weeks: HbA1c fell 1.46% on low-dose survodutide against 1.47% on open-label semaglutide, while weight fell up to 8.7% on the highest survodutide dose against 5.3% on semaglutide. Adverse events 77.8% against 52.0%.

     Diabetologia, 2024· 413 people

   • Survodutide produced large weight loss in people without diabetes. Three hundred and eighty-seven adults were treated for about eleven months, at several doses or with a dummy injection. At the highest dose people lost about 14.9% of their body weight. On the dummy they lost 2.8%. For someone of 100 kg that is roughly 12 kg of difference. Sickness, vomiting and other gut side effects were common. This was a mid stage trial built to find the right dose.

     The numbers 46-week trial in 387 adults without diabetes: mean weight change of minus 14.9% at 4.8 mg weekly versus minus 2.8% on placebo; gastrointestinal adverse events were common.

     The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, 2024· 387 people

   • In a late stage trial, survodutide stripped fat out of the liver in most people who took it. Two hundred and sixteen adults with obesity and a fatty liver were treated for nearly a year. Cutting liver fat by at least 30% happened in 84 out of every 100 on the drug, against 24 out of 100 on a dummy injection. Body weight fell 12.2% on the drug and 1.0% on the dummy. Liver fat is a scan measurement, not a count of people who got ill.

     The numbers Phase 3 in 216 adults: 84% on survodutide 6 mg versus 24% on placebo achieved at least a 30% liver-fat reduction, with minus 12.2% versus minus 1.0% body weight at 48 weeks.

     Nature Medicine, 2026· 216 people

10. 10RetatrutidePeptideStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 5 completed trials, 1,345 people given it.8 reported

    1,156 people given it3 trials

    • This is the first full late-stage report for retatrutide, and it holds up. 537 people with type 2 diabetes not controlled by diet and exercise took the drug or a dummy shot for 40 weeks. Nobody involved knew which. Average blood sugar over three months fell between 1.69 and 1.94 points across the doses, against 0.81 on the dummy. Weight fell between 11.5% and 15.3%, against 2.6%. This is a diabetes trial, not the obesity trials everyone is waiting for.

      The numbers 537 participants over 40 weeks (NCT06354660): HbA1c -1.69% to -1.94% across doses versus -0.81% on placebo, and body weight -11.5% to -15.3% versus -2.6%. The first fully published Phase 3 result for retatrutide.

      The Lancet, 2026· 537 people

    • It worked, and this is still an early trial. 338 adults with obesity took retatrutide or a dummy injection every week for about eleven months. The dummy group finished about 2% lighter. On the strongest dose people finished about 24% lighter, with smaller losses on smaller doses. This was a middle stage trial, built to find the right dose rather than to prove long term benefit or safety. No full size trial of this drug has been published yet.

      The numbers 338 adults over 48 weeks (NCT04881760): least-squares mean body weight change of -24.2% at 12 mg, -22.8% at 8 mg and -17.1% at 4 mg versus -2.1% with placebo.

      New England Journal of Medicine, 2023· 338 people

    • Retatrutide lowered blood sugar and weight more than an older drug, in a mid-stage trial. 281 people with type 2 diabetes were split by chance between retatrutide, dulaglutide and a dummy shot, and nobody involved knew which. At the top dose, average blood sugar over three months fell about 2 points, against almost nothing on the dummy and 1.41 on dulaglutide. Weight fell 16.94% against 3.00%. Nobody had a severe sugar low and nobody died. It ran under a year.

      The numbers 281 randomized, 275 analysed (NCT04867785): HbA1c -2.02% at 12 mg versus -0.01% on placebo and -1.41% on dulaglutide at 24 weeks; body weight -16.94% versus -3.00% and -2.02% at 36 weeks. No severe hypoglycaemia and no deaths.

      The Lancet, 2023· 281 people

    What people using it report

    • The dose people describe starting on for weight loss clusters around 2 mg weekly, and the most repeated piece of advice is that people who are already lean and using it to cut find that starting dose considerably stronger than people using it for obesity do. Starting lower is the standard suggestion in that second group.
11. 11CotadutidePeptideStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 6 completed trials, 1,221 people given it.

    899 people given it3 trials1 found nothing

    • Cotadutide lowered blood sugar and weight in people with diabetes, and it beat liraglutide on weight at the top dose. 834 adults on metformin were split by chance across three doses, a dummy, or liraglutide, for about a year. Blood sugar and weight both fell against the dummy. At the highest dose, liver enzymes and scarring scores improved, which liraglutide did not manage. Nausea hit about a third and vomiting about one in six. AstraZeneca funded it.

      The numbers 834 adults with type 2 diabetes and BMI 25 or more on metformin, randomised to cotadutide 100 mcg (100), 200 mcg (256) or 300 mcg (256), placebo (110) or open-label liraglutide 1.8 mg (110) for 54 weeks. HbA1c and weight fell against placebo at weeks 14 and 54 (all P below 0.001). Weight loss at 300 mcg exceeded liraglutide; liver enzymes and fibrosis scores improved at 300 mcg but not with liraglutide. Nausea 35 percent, vomiting 17 percent. Funded by AstraZeneca (registry NCT03235050, results posted 2020).

      Diabetes Care, 2021· 834 people

    • An early trial showed cotadutide blunts the blood sugar spike after a meal, and takes off some weight. 65 adults with diabetes and extra weight took it daily for seven weeks, or a dummy. After meals, blood sugar rose about a fifth less, while it climbed on the dummy. Weight fell about three and a half percent, against almost nothing on the dummy. The stomach emptied roughly two hours more slowly. Seven weeks tells you about the mechanism, not about living with the drug. The sponsor paid.

      The numbers Phase 2a, 65 adults with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity, 49 days of daily cotadutide (50 to 300 mcg) or placebo. Postprandial glucose area under the curve fell 21.5 percent against a 6.3 percent rise on placebo (P below 0.001); weight fell 3.41 percent against 0.08 percent (P equals 0.002); postprandial insulin rose and gastric emptying half-time lengthened by about two hours. Sponsor funded.

      Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2020· 65 people

    • found nothingPeople lost weight on cotadutide because they ate less, not because they burned more. This small study followed 12 people on the drug and 7 on a dummy for six weeks. The drug group lost four percent of their body weight against one and a half percent on the dummy. They ate far less food. Energy burned, measured properly, did not change at all. Nineteen people is a very small number for a question this specific. AstraZeneca funded it.

      The numbers Phase 2a energy balance study; 12 cotadutide and 7 placebo completers over 42 days. Weight change minus 4.0 percent against minus 1.4 percent (P equals 0.011); energy intake fell 41.3 percent against placebo; energy expenditure by doubly labelled water did not differ (1.0 percent, P equals 0.784). Weight loss was driven by eating less, not by burning more. Funded by AstraZeneca.

      Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2024· number of people not given

    Also measured in animals or in the lab

    • In mice. In mice with fatty liver inflammation, cotadutide's weight and blood sugar effects came mainly through GLP-1. Its effects on liver fat, stored sugar and the cell's energy factories came through glucagon. At the same weight loss, it cut liver scarring more than liraglutide or obeticholic acid. AstraZeneca staff wrote it. It has been wrongly cited as a human study, and it is not one.

      The numbers Mouse models of steatohepatitis. Weight, food intake and glucose effects ran mainly through GLP-1 signalling; liver lipid, glycogen flux and mitochondrial effects through the glucagon receptor. Cotadutide reduced fibrosis more than liraglutide or obeticholic acid at matched weight loss. This is animal and mechanistic work with AstraZeneca employee authors; it has been miscited elsewhere as a human randomised trial and is not one.

      Nature Metabolism, 2020· animal study

12. 12PramlintidePeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 684 people given it.

    684 people given it2 trials

    • Pramlintide improved blood sugar control in type 1 diabetes, and people lost weight instead of gaining it. Four hundred and eighty patients were treated alongside their insulin for a year. At three months, average blood sugar had fallen by 0.67 percentage points on the drug and 0.16 on a dummy injection. Severe low blood sugar episodes did not become more frequent. The improvement is real but modest, and it is a blood number rather than a count of complications avoided.

      The numbers 52-week trial in 480 patients with type 1 diabetes: pramlintide lowered HbA1c by 0.67% versus 0.16% for placebo at week 13, with weight loss rather than gain and no rise in severe hypoglycemia.

      Diabetes Care, 2002· 480 people

    • In people with obesity but no diabetes, pramlintide produced a small amount of weight loss. Two hundred and four of them took it or a dummy injection for four months, with the dose built up slowly. The drug group ended 3.6 kg lighter than the dummy group, about 3.7% of body weight. That is far less than newer weight drugs deliver. Its value is that it showed the amylin pathway affects appetite at all, which is the idea later drugs were built on.

      The numbers 16 weeks in 204 obese subjects without insulin: placebo-corrected weight loss of 3.7% (3.6 kg), showing the amylin pathway's appetite effect that later informed cagrilintide.

      Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2007· 204 people

13. 13EcnoglutidePeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 664 people given it.1 reported

    664 people given it2 trials

    • It worked, in a full sized trial. 664 Chinese adults lost between 9 and 13 percent of their body weight over 40 weeks, depending on the dose, while the dummy group lost essentially nothing. Nearly nine in ten on the top dose lost at least 5 percent. One thing to hold in mind. Everyone in this trial was Chinese, so read it as evidence in that population.

      The numbers 664 Chinese adults: 9.1% to 13.2% weight loss at 40 weeks versus 0.1% with placebo; 87% on 2.4 mg lost at least 5%.

      The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, 2025· 664 people

    • China's regulator approved it for weight management in March 2026. The company reports an average weight loss of about 15 percent after 48 weeks on the top dose, nearly all of it over and above what the dummy group lost. An approval is a real milestone. It is also specific to one country, and it is not the same thing as approval where you live.

      The numbers March 6, 2026 approval; 15.4% mean weight loss at 48 weeks on 2.4 mg (placebo-adjusted 15.1%).

      Sciwind Biosciences press release, 2026· number of people not given

14. 14NNC0480-0389PeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 1 completed trial, 500 people given it.2 reported

    500 people given it1 trial

    • This trial has finished, and the registry now carries its numbers. Novo Nordisk enrolled 500 people with type 2 diabetes and completed it in March 2023. Weight fell 9.8 kg on semaglutide with a dummy added, and between 8.9 and 12.0 kg across the doses with the GIP drug on top. The GIP drug by itself gave 4.7 kg, and a dummy alone gave 2.6 kg. So it adds something to semaglutide, and on its own it is much the weaker drug.

      The numbers Phase 2 dose finding, 500 randomised, completed March 2023, results now posted on the registry: body weight fell 9.8 kg on semaglutide 2.4 mg with placebo, between 8.9 and 12.0 kg across the four combination doses, 4.7 kg on NNC0480-0389 21.6 mg alone and 2.6 kg on placebo. It adds something to semaglutide and is much the weaker drug on its own. Novo Nordisk funded.

      ClinicalTrials.gov, 2026· 500 people

15. 15PetrelintidePeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 1 completed trial, 493 people given it.2 reported

    493 people given it1 trial, 1 watch-only

    • It works, and it works less well than the drugs it is chasing. 493 people took part, and the company reports up to about 11 percent average weight loss after 42 weeks, against under 2 percent on a dummy. This is a press release, so no outside reviewer has been through the detail yet. A larger trial is meant to start later in 2026.

      The numbers March 5, 2026: 493 participants; up to 10.7% mean weight loss at 42 weeks versus 1.7% with placebo; Phase 3 to start later in 2026.

      Zealand Pharma press release, 2026· 493 people

    • The earliest human studies went smoothly and showed weight coming off. Side effects were mostly mild stomach trouble. The purpose of trials at this stage is to find out whether people can take a drug at all, and at what dose. This one passed that test, which is why it went forward. It is not evidence that the drug works.

      The numbers Well tolerated with mostly mild GI events and clinically relevant weight loss; supports development for weight management.

      Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2026· number of people not givenobserved only, nobody was given it

16. 16BeinaglutidePeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 2 completed trials, 443 people given it.

    427 people given it1 trial, 1 watch-only

    • Three shots a day for 16 weeks took off a modest amount of weight, and half the people felt sick. 427 Chinese adults without diabetes were split by chance to 0.2 mg under the skin three times daily or a dummy, and nobody knew which. Weight fell 6.0 percent against 2.4 percent on the dummy. Nausea hit 49.3 percent against 7.1 percent, and 5.9 percent quit over side effects against 0.7 percent. Weight started coming back once people stopped.

      The numbers Multicentre double-blind placebo-controlled phase 3 in 427 non-diabetic Chinese adults, randomised 2:1 to 0.2 mg subcutaneously three times daily or placebo for 16 weeks. Mean body weight change was minus 6.0 percent against minus 2.4 percent, a difference of 3.6 percentage points. 58.2 percent versus 25.4 percent lost at least 5 percent and 21.3 percent versus 5.1 percent lost at least 10 percent. Nausea occurred in 49.3 percent against 7.1 percent, and 5.9 percent discontinued for adverse events against 0.7 percent. Weight regain 12 weeks after stopping was reported at 0.78 percent.

      Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2024· 427 people

    • Nobody was given anything here. Researchers looked back at the records of 314 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. After three months, the records showed weight down 10.05 kg and average blood sugar down 2.87 points. Those numbers are far bigger than the careful study with a dummy-shot group found. Looking back only at people who stayed on a drug picks out the ones it suited. These figures should never be quoted as what the drug does.

      The numbers Retrospective observational data on 314 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes treated between 2017 and 2018. After three months, weight fell 10.05 kg and glycated haemoglobin 2.87 percentage points, with 84.96 percent losing at least 5 percent of body weight. These figures are far larger than the randomised phase 3 produced, which is what uncontrolled retrospective selection does to effect estimates, and they should not be quoted as the drug's effect size.

      Obesity Science and Practice, 2019· 314 peopleobserved only, nobody was given it

    Also measured in animals or in the lab

    • In mice made obese on a fatty diet. Treated mice had lower weight, less fat and lower blood fats. Their fat tissue responded better to insulin. The kinds of fat stored in that tissue changed, and so did the genes that handle fat. None of this has been measured in a human study of this drug.

      The numbers Diet-induced obese mice. Treated animals showed lower body weight, fat mass and plasma lipids, improved insulin sensitivity in white adipose tissue, and changes in the content and composition of glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids alongside altered expression of lipid metabolism genes. A mouse mechanism study; none of these lipidomic endpoints has been measured in a human trial of this drug.

      iScience, 2021· animal study

17. 17BofanglutidePeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 5 completed trials, 750 people given it.4 reported

    386 people given it2 trials

    • It took off serious weight in overweight Chinese adults, and almost everyone had side effects. 340 adults averaging 95.6 kg were split by chance across five doses or a dummy, and nobody knew which. Over 30 weeks weight fell between 9.75 and 16.69 percent on the drug, against 1.15 percent on the dummy. Side effects hit 98.9 percent of the treated group against 86.4 percent, mostly mild stomach ones. 84.1 percent finished. Several authors work for the maker or hold its shares.

      The numbers Double-blind placebo-controlled phase 2b trial, 340 Chinese adults with overweight or obesity, mean age 33.1 years and mean weight 95.6 kg, randomised across five dose groups. Mean percentage change in body weight from baseline to week 30 ranged from minus 9.75 to minus 16.69 percent with bofanglutide against minus 1.15 percent with placebo. Adverse events occurred in 98.9 percent of the bofanglutide group against 86.4 percent of placebo and were mostly grade 1 to 2 gastrointestinal events, in 83.9 percent against 33.3 percent. 84.1 percent completed the trial. Several authors are Gan and Lee employees or shareholders.

      Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 2026· 340 people

    • This was a small early study to find the right dose. It does not tell you how well the drug works. Sixty people signed up and 46 finished. In the second part, weight fell 17.8 percent on weekly shots and 12.8 percent on shots every two weeks, against 0.7 percent on a dummy shot. The first part moved the same way, by less. With only 46 people finishing, these numbers are not reliable. The authors say so, and call for bigger and longer studies.

      The numbers The earlier and much smaller weight-management trial under the development code. Sixty participants enrolled, 46 completed. Least-squares mean change in body weight was minus 9.36 percent for GZR18 against 6.68 percent for placebo in part A, and minus 17.8 percent weekly and minus 12.8 percent every two weeks against 0.7 percent for placebo in part B. With 46 completers this is a dose-finding exercise, not an efficacy result, and the authors say as much in concluding that larger and longer trials are warranted.

      Cell Reports Medicine, 2026· 46 people

18. 18ExenatidePeptideStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 2 completed trials, 15,088 people given it.1 reported

    336 people given it1 trial

    • Exenatide lowered blood sugar and took off a little weight in people already on metformin. 336 patients at 82 US clinics added exenatide or a dummy injection twice a day for seven months. Average blood sugar over three months fell about three quarters of a point on the higher dose and four tenths on the lower one. On the dummy it drifted slightly upward. Weight fell by up to 2.8 kg, more at the higher dose. Seven months is too short to tell you about years of use.

      The numbers 336 patients at 82 US sites: HbA1c fell 0.78% (10 mcg twice daily) and 0.40% (5 mcg) versus a 0.08% rise on placebo, with dose-dependent weight loss of up to 2.8 kg.

      Diabetes Care, 2005· 336 people

19. 19VisepegenatidePeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 4 completed trials, 572 people given it.

    273 people given it1 trial

    • It lowered blood sugar in people newly treated for diabetes, and the weight number needs care. 273 adults who had never been treated were split evenly by chance to 150 micrograms weekly or a dummy for 24 weeks. Average blood sugar fell 1.36 points against 0.63. 50.4 percent got below 7.0 percent against 14.2 percent. 3 people on the drug needed rescue treatment against 17 on the dummy. The 4.77 kg weight loss at week 52 varied so widely that it should not be read as typical. PegBio funded it.

      The numbers 273 treatment-naive adults at 30 Chinese centres, randomised 1:1 to 150 micrograms weekly or placebo for 24 weeks, then all on active drug to week 52. At week 24 glycated haemoglobin fell 1.36 percentage points against 0.63 on placebo, a difference of 0.73 points. 50.4 percent reached below 7.0 percent against 14.2 percent. Rescue therapy was needed by 3 participants on drug against 17 on placebo. Weight loss was reported as BMI-dependent and reached 4.77 kg at week 52 in those with BMI above 32, with a standard deviation of 13.94 kg, which is wide enough to warrant caution. Funded by PegBio.

      The Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific, 2024· 273 people

20. 20EfinopegdutidePeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 1 completed trial, 145 people given it.

    145 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

    • found nothingA dual-acting drug cleared far more liver fat than semaglutide in a head to head test. 145 people with fatty liver disease were split by chance between the two drugs for about six months. Everybody knew which drug they were taking. Liver fat fell by roughly three quarters on efinopegdutide against a little over two fifths on semaglutide. Weight loss was similar. Liver fat on a scan is a marker. Nobody here was followed long enough to see scarring, liver failure or death.

      The numbers 145 participants with liver fat content of 10 percent or more, randomised 1:1 to efinopegdutide 10 mg or semaglutide 1 mg weekly for 24 weeks, open-label. Mean baseline BMI 34.3 and liver fat 20.3 percent; 33.1 percent had type 2 diabetes. Relative reduction in liver fat 72.7 percent (90% CI 66.8 to 78.7) against 42.3 percent (90% CI 36.5 to 48.1), p < 0.001. Body weight reduction 8.5 percent against 7.1 percent, p = 0.085, not significant. Slightly higher adverse events on efinopegdutide, mainly gastrointestinal.

      Journal of Hepatology, 2023· 145 people

21. 21AmycretinPeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 1 completed trial, 125 people given it.2 reported

    125 people given it1 trial

    • Weight fell by roughly a quarter in nine months, which is as much as anything in this class has managed. 125 people took one of two doses or a dummy, and the dummy group gained a little. Stomach upset was common, and that matters, because it is the main reason people abandon these drugs. An early trial in 125 people is a promising start, not a settled answer.

      The numbers 125 participants: weight fell 22.0% (20 mg) and 24.3% (60 mg) at 36 weeks versus about 1% to 2% gain with placebo; GI events common.

      The Lancet, 2025· 125 people

22. 22PEG-loxenatidePeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 4 completed trials, 590 people given it.

    123 people given it1 trial

    • Very high doses took off a lot of weight, and this trial cannot carry that. 123 enrolled at one centre and 105 finished, split by chance to 300 or 400 micrograms weekly or a dummy. Weight fell 16.34 kg and 21.14 kg against 6.75 kg. Side effects hit 36.11 percent on the high dose against 11.43 percent. Here is the problem. The doses run up to four times the registered ones, only patients were kept in the dark, and the dummy group lost 6.75 kg, so everyone was dieting hard.

      The numbers Single-centre, single-blind trial, 123 enrolled and 105 completed, randomised to 300 or 400 micrograms weekly or placebo for 24 weeks. Weight fell 16.34 kg on 300 micrograms and 21.14 kg on 400 against 6.75 kg on placebo. Glycated haemoglobin fell 1.02 and 1.34 percentage points against 0.50. Adverse drug reactions reached 36.11 percent on the high dose against 11.43 percent on placebo. These doses are one and a half to four times the registration doses, the trial is single-centre and single-blind, and the placebo arm losing 6.75 kg indicates a substantial background intervention in all groups.

      Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2026· 123 people

23. 23CT-868PeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 1 completed trial, 103 people given it.

    103 people given it1 trial

    • Blood sugar fell a long way and weight barely moved, which is unusual for this drug class. 103 adults with type 2 diabetes took CT-868 daily at 1.75 mg, 4.0 mg or a dummy for 26 weeks, nobody knowing which. Average blood sugar fell 1.61 to 2.24 points further than the dummy group. Weight fell only 2.9 percent further on the higher dose. Covid supply problems meant some on the higher dose got less and were counted separately. Most authors work or worked for Roche or Carmot.

      The numbers 26 week phase 2 in 103 adults with type 2 diabetes, body mass index at least 27 and glycated haemoglobin 7.0 to 10.0 percent, randomised to once-daily CT-868 1.75 mg, 4.0 mg or placebo. Glycated haemoglobin fell 1.61 to 2.24 percentage points against placebo. Body weight fell only 2.9 percent against placebo on 4.0 mg. Fasting glucose, self-monitored glucose and most lipid parameters improved. No participant experienced hypoglycaemia. COVID-19 supply constraints meant some participants assigned 4.0 mg received a maximum of 3.25 mg and were analysed as a separate arm. Most authors are current or former Roche or Carmot employees.

      Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2026· 103 people

24. 24BGM0504PeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, 64 people given it.

    64 people given it1 trial, 1 watch-only

    • This is a twelve-people-per-group signal, and its authors call it that. 64 Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes took BGM0504 at 5, 10 or 15 mg, a dummy, or semaglutide, weekly for 12 weeks. Average blood sugar fell 1.72, 1.94 and 2.48 points on the three doses, against 1.43 on semaglutide and 0.28 higher on the dummy. The top dose took off more weight than semaglutide. Twelve people per group over twelve weeks cannot settle a comparison. Five authors work for BrightGene and may hold its stock.

      The numbers 64 Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes randomised to BGM0504 at 5, 10 or 15 mg, placebo, or semaglutide 1 mg, all weekly for 12 weeks. Mean glycated haemoglobin change was minus 1.72, minus 1.94 and minus 2.48 percentage points against minus 1.43 for semaglutide and plus 0.28 for placebo. The 15 mg dose showed greater weight reduction than semaglutide. The authors describe the findings as a signal throughout, which is appropriate for 12 participants per arm over 12 weeks. Five authors are BrightGene employees who may hold stock.

      Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2026· 64 people

    • Healthy volunteers, and the weight figures belong to healthy volunteers. 40 healthy Chinese people took a single 2.5 mg dose, then weekly doses rising to 5, 10 and 15 mg. The amount in the blood rose in step with the dose across that range. Weight fell 3.24, 6.26, 7.09 and 8.30 percent at the four doses. Vomiting, nausea, lost appetite, diarrhoea and bloating were the commonest complaints. These weight numbers come from healthy people over a short stretch, not from people with obesity being treated.

      The numbers 40 healthy Chinese volunteers, single 2.5 mg dose and weekly titration to 5, 10 and 15 mg. Maximum concentration and area under the curve were linearly proportional to dose across 2.5 to 15 mg, supporting weekly dosing. Body weight change from baseline was minus 3.24, minus 6.26, minus 7.09 and minus 8.30 percent at 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 mg. Gastrointestinal events, vomiting, nausea, decreased appetite, diarrhoea and abdominal distension, were the most frequent adverse events. These weight figures are from healthy volunteers over a short dosing period, not from people with obesity.

      Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2025· 40 peopleobserved only, nobody was given it

25. 25SetmelanotidePeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, 38 people given it.4 reported

    38 people given it1 trial, 1 watch-only

    • It helped a minority of patients with one rare syndrome, and left the other syndrome unanswered. 38 patients with Bardet-Biedl syndrome or Alstrom syndrome took setmelanotide or a dummy injection for a year, and nobody involved knew which. Among those aged 12 and over with Bardet-Biedl, 32.3% lost at least a tenth of their body weight. Too few Alstrom patients took part for any conclusion. Thirty-eight people is a very small trial, which is normal for diseases this rare.

      The numbers 38 patients: 32.3% of those aged 12 or older with Bardet-Biedl syndrome reached at least 10% weight loss after 52 weeks (p=0.0006); results in Alstrom syndrome were inconclusive.

      The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2022· 38 people

    • In rare genetic forms of obesity most patients lost serious weight, and there was nobody to compare them against. After about a year, 8 of 10 people with one gene fault and 5 of 11 with the other had lost at least a tenth of their body weight. Reported hunger fell by roughly a third in one group and nearly half in the other. Nearly everyone got darker skin and reactions where they injected. These gene faults are very rare, and this says nothing about ordinary obesity.

      The numbers At about one year, 8 of 10 (80%) POMC-deficiency and 5 of 11 (45%) LEPR-deficiency participants lost at least 10% of body weight, with hunger scores down 27% and 44%; hyperpigmentation and injection-site reactions were near-universal.

      The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2020· number of people not givenobserved only, nobody was given it

26. 26GlepaglutidePeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 230 people given it.

    18 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

    • found nothingAn early trial showed glepaglutide cuts fluid loss from the bowel, at the higher doses. 18 adults with very heavy output each took two different doses in turn, and nobody involved knew which was which. 16 finished. At the middle dose, output fell by nearly 600 grams a day, and at the top dose by over 800. The lowest dose did nothing. Side effects were heavy: stoma problems in seven in ten, injection site reactions in six in ten, swelling in over half. Zealand Pharma funded it.

      The numbers Single-centre, double-blind crossover in 18 adults with faecal output of 1,500 g a day or more, two 3 week periods of daily injections at 0.1, 1 or 10 mg; 16 completed. Faecal wet weight fell 592 g per day at 1 mg (95 percent CI 272 to 913) and 833 g per day at 10 mg (515 to 1,152); no change at 0.1 mg. Treatment-related adverse events: stoma complications 72 percent, injection site reactions 61 percent, peripheral oedema 56 percent, nausea and abdominal pain 44 percent each. Funded by Zealand Pharma.

      Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2019· 18 people

27. 27VK2735PeptideStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 4,650 people given it.1 reported

    0 people given it2 trials

    • A weekly shot stripped off a serious amount of weight, fast. At the top dose people lost about 15 percent of their body weight in 13 weeks, against under 2 percent on a dummy, and more than nine in ten lost at least 5 percent. Thirteen weeks is a short look. It shows the drug does something quickly and says nothing about where people stand a year later.

      The numbers Weight fell 9.1% to 14.7% across doses at 13 weeks versus 1.7% with placebo; 93% lost at least 5%.

      Obesity, 2026· number of people not given

    • A pill version of the drug takes weight off too. Over 13 weeks people lost up to about 12 percent of their body weight, and bigger doses took off more. For those who lost most that is roughly 27 pounds. Two cautions. This is the company presenting its own results rather than a published paper, and 13 weeks is a short window in a field where the questions are about years.

      The numbers Oral VK2735 produced dose-dependent weight loss up to 12.2% (26.6 lb) at 13 weeks.

      Viking Therapeutics press release, 2026· number of people not given

28. 28AOD-9604PeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.5 reported

    0 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

    • found nothingAOD9604 was tested properly for weight loss and it did not work. Six separate trials compared it with a dummy, and none of them delivered the fat loss the drug was built for. It did not change the growth hormone marker in the blood, and it did not change how people handled sugar. Its side effect profile looked the same as a dummy injection. So the honest summary is that it is safe and it is ineffective.

      The numbers Summary of six randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trials: AOD9604 (Tyr-hGH177-191) had no effect on IGF-1 or glucose tolerance and a safety profile indistinguishable from placebo; the programme did not establish efficacy for weight loss.

      Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2013· number of people not given

    Also measured in animals or in the lab

    • In obese mice, 14 days of AOD9604 cut body weight and fat. It worked through a fat-burning receptor called beta-3. In mice without that receptor, the effect was gone.

      The numbers 14 days of AOD9604 reduced body weight and fat in obese mice and increased beta3-adrenergic receptor expression; effects were lost in beta3-AR knockout mice.

      Endocrinology, 2001· animal study

    • In obese rats, the fat-burning piece of growth hormone switched on a fat breakdown enzyme and slowed weight gain. It did not cause blood sugar problems.

      The numbers The hGH 177-191 lipolytic domain stimulated hormone-sensitive lipase and reduced weight gain in obese rats without inducing insulin resistance or glucose intolerance.

      Journal of Molecular Endocrinology, 2000· animal study

29. 29GLP-1PeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 2 completed trials, 8 people given it.1 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • The hormone your own gut makes does what the drugs built from it do, only briefly. Adults with obesity injected native GLP-1 before meals for five days, and also spent a period on a dummy, with nobody knowing which. Food eaten at each meal fell by about 15 percent and they lost 0.55 kg. Food leaving the stomach more slowly is the likely reason. Five days is a short test and half a kilo is small. The natural hormone breaks down far too fast to be a treatment.

      The numbers Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover in healthy obese subjects with a mean BMI of 39. Five days of native GLP-1 given before meals cut mean food intake per meal 15% and produced 0.55 kg of weight loss, with slowed gastric emptying as the probable mechanism. The native hormone does what its analogues do, just far more briefly.

      British Journal of Nutrition, 2004· number of people not given

30. 30EloralintidePeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.2 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • It worked well. 263 adults with obesity took weekly eloralintide or a dummy shot for just under a year. The lowest dose took off about a tenth of body weight, and the highest about a fifth. The dummy group barely moved. Stomach side effects looked milder than on GLP-1 drugs. This is a mid-stage study, so the bigger ones still have to agree.

      The numbers 9.5% to 20.1% weight loss at 48 weeks versus 0.4% on placebo.

      The Lancet, 2025· number of people not given

31. 31BerobenatidePeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 3 completed trials, none stating how many people.1 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • The weekly version took off weight in the same range as the injections people already use. At 28 weeks the best dose removed about 14% more body weight than a dummy injection. This was the mid-stage study that sent the drug into final-stage testing. The figures came from a company press release rather than a journal, so the detail behind them has not been reviewed by anyone independent.

      The numbers Up to 14.1% placebo-adjusted weight loss at 28 weeks on weekly dosing.

      Metsera press release, 2025· number of people not given

32. 32RibupatidePeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.1 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • This one cleared the bar, in the largest kind of trial there is. 567 adults in China took weekly ribupatide or a dummy injection for just under a year. On the 6 mg dose the average person lost about a fifth of their body weight, and weight was still coming off at the end. Very few people quit because of side effects. The trial ran only in China, so how the drug performs elsewhere is being tested separately.

      The numbers 19.2% mean weight loss at 48 weeks on 6 mg.

      ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06396429, 2025· number of people not given

33. 33EnicepatidePeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 2 completed trials, none stating how many people.1 reported

    0 people given it1 trial, 1 watch-only

    • People on the top dose lost a lot of weight. 469 adults took weekly enicepatide or a dummy shot for 48 weeks. On the top dose the average person ended up about 22 percent lighter than the dummy group, and weight was still falling when the study stopped. These numbers came from Roche's own announcement first. This was a mid-stage study, so the large studies that decide approval are still ahead.

      The numbers 22.5% placebo-adjusted weight loss at 48 weeks on 24 mg.

      Roche media release, 2026· number of people not given

    • About one person in four lost at least a third of their body weight. That is surgery territory, reached with a weekly injection over 48 weeks. The figure describes the share of people who hit that mark, not the average, and the average across everyone was lower. It comes from a mid-stage trial of a few hundred people. Nobody yet knows how many keep that weight off after stopping.

      The numbers 26.1% of participants lost 30% or more of body weight.

      ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06525935, 2026· number of people not givenobserved only, nobody was given it

34. 34MET-233iPeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.1 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • An early study hints that one injection a month could be enough. In the first test in people, the best dose took off about 8% more body weight than a dummy injection in five weeks, and the body took 19 days to clear half of it. That clearance time is what makes monthly dosing plausible. Here is the problem. This is a company announcement about a first-stage safety study, and studies at that stage are not built to measure weight loss.

      The numbers Up to 8.4% mean placebo-subtracted weight loss at day 36 and a 19-day observed half-life, which the company says supports once-monthly dosing. Company topline, not a peer-reviewed publication.

      Metsera press release (GlobeNewswire), 9 June 2025, 2025· number of people not given

35. 35GIPPeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 2 completed trials, 10 people given it.2 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • People lost weight on a drug that blocks the GIP receptor. That is the puzzle on this page, because tirzepatide switches the same receptor on and people lose weight on that too. This drug pairs a GIP blocker with a GLP-1 drug, given once a month. Nobody has explained how both directions can work. This was a mid-sized trial, so it is a signal. Which approach is better is still an open question.

      The numbers The other half of the paradox. Maridebart cafraglutide pairs GLP-1 receptor agonism with a GIP receptor ANTAGONIST antibody, and it produced weight loss in a randomised phase 2 trial. Blocking the receptor tirzepatide activates also works.

      New England Journal of Medicine, 2025· number of people not given

36. 36NNC0165-1875PeptideModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 120 people given it.2 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • Adding this long acting PYY to semaglutide was not worth it, and people could not tolerate the higher dose. In people, the authors describe the effect of the 1.0 mg dose added to semaglutide as modest but not clinically meaningful. Stomach and bowel side effects were common, and the step up to 2.0 mg was not tolerated. The programme also covered a first safety study in people and work in obese rats. In rats already on semaglutide, the added drug did cause extra weight loss.

      The numbers A programme spanning obese male rats, a phase 1 study and a phase 2 study. In semaglutide-treated obese rats the analogue induced additional weight loss. In phase 1 all doses alone and coadministered with semaglutide were tolerated. In phase 2, verbatim: a modest but not clinically meaningful treatment effect of PYY1875 1.0 mg versus placebo as an add-on to semaglutide 2.4 mg was observed. Gastrointestinal adverse events were common at 1.0 mg and the 2.0 mg dose escalation regimen was not tolerated. The authors conclude the treatment was not well tolerated.

      Obesity, 2025· number of people not given

37. 37KN069PeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.

    0 people given it1 trial

    • The first human data look promising, and they come from a very small, very early study. Chinese men with overweight or obesity were given single rising doses, three on the drug for every one on a dummy, plus a smaller repeat-dose group. Side effects were mostly mild stomach and bowel complaints. The drug clears extremely slowly, staying in the body for weeks. At the best single dose, weight was down about 4.7% at day seven against 0.4% on the dummy.

      The numbers First-in-human in Chinese men with overweight or obesity. Single ascending dose 12 to 120 mg, n = 36, randomised 3:1 active to placebo, plus multiple ascending dose n = 12 escalating 15 to 60 mg. Well tolerated with predominantly mild to moderate gastrointestinal adverse events. Dose-proportional exposure from 12 to 90 mg with a total-drug half-life of 899.74 to 1099.01 hours. Maximum early weight change at day 7 on 90 mg was minus 4.71% against minus 0.41% on placebo, sustained up to 133 days. In the multiple-dose part the 60 mg group reached minus 2.57% at day 25 with a significant fall in waist circumference (p = 0.0446). Fasting glucose, triglycerides and uric acid fell and insulin and C-peptide rose.

      Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2026· number of people not given

38. 38AT673PeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.1 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • Blocking GIP while activating GLP-1 produced large weight loss in people. 592 took part, 465 with obesity and 127 who also had type 2 diabetes, split by chance between several doses and a dummy, injected once a month. After a year, people with obesity lost between about 12% and 16% of their body weight, against about 2.5% on the dummy. Losses were smaller in the diabetes group. Stomach and bowel side effects were common. Amgen paid for it.

      The numbers The human precedent for the direction. Maridebart cafraglutide pairs GLP-1 receptor agonism with a GIP receptor antagonist antibody and produced weight loss in a randomised phase 2. Included because without it, GIP antagonism would rest on mouse genetics alone.

      New England Journal of Medicine, 2025· number of people not given

39. 39Neuropeptide YPeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 3 completed trials, 20 people given it.5 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • A drug built on the idea that blocking an appetite signal would make people lose weight was tested properly, and it did not work. Over sixteen hundred overweight and obese adults took the pill or a dummy one for a year, and nobody involved knew which. The weight loss was real but so small that the authors themselves called it not clinically meaningful. They concluded that blocking this one receptor is unlikely to ever work as a treatment. Merck ran the trial and Merck employees are among the authors.

      The numbers The definitive human test of the NPY appetite hypothesis, and a negative one. After a positron emission tomography dosing study and a 12 week dose-ranging study identified 1 mg per day as the optimal dose, MK-0557 was taken into a 52 week, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 1,661 overweight and obese patients. The weight loss was statistically significant at 52 weeks but the authors state plainly that its magnitude was not clinically meaningful, and conclude that targeting the Y5 receptor alone is unlikely to produce therapeutic efficacy. The trial was run by Merck, whose employees are among the authors.

      Cell Metabolism, 2006· number of people not given

40. 40Semaglutide with B12BlendLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 2 completed trials, none stating how many people.7 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • Semaglutide caused large, well documented weight loss, and this is the study that showed it. Adults took a weekly 2.4 mg shot or a dummy shot for about 16 months. Average body weight fell 14.9% on the drug and 2.4% on the dummy, a gap of about 12 points. Half the drug group lost at least a sixth of their body weight, against one in twenty on the dummy. Feeling sick and loose stools were common, usually mild and short-lived. No vitamin was given with it.

      The numbers STEP 1. Mean body weight changed by 14.9% with semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly against 2.4% with placebo at week 68, an estimated treatment difference of 12.4 percentage points. 50.5% of the semaglutide group lost 15% or more of body weight against 4.9% on placebo. Nausea and diarrhoea were the most common adverse events, usually transient and mild to moderate. Semaglutide alone; no vitamin was co-administered.

      New England Journal of Medicine, 2021· number of people not given

41. 41Tirzepatide with B12BlendLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 2 completed trials, none stating how many people.6 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • Tirzepatide caused very large weight loss in a big study. Adults took a weekly shot at one of three strengths, or a dummy shot, for about 17 months. Average weight fell 15.0%, 19.5% and 20.9% as the dose went up, against 3.1% on the dummy. On the top dose, 57 in every 100 people lost at least a fifth of their body weight, against 3 in 100. Stomach and bowel upsets were the common complaint, mostly mild. No vitamin was given with it.

      The numbers SURMOUNT-1. Mean percentage weight change at week 72 was 15.0% on 5 mg, 19.5% on 10 mg and 20.9% on 15 mg weekly, against 3.1% on placebo. 57% of the 15 mg group lost 20% or more of body weight against 3% on placebo. Gastrointestinal events were the most common adverse events and were mostly mild to moderate. Tirzepatide alone, with no vitamin co-administered.

      New England Journal of Medicine, 2022· number of people not given

42. 42Semaglutide with BPC-157BlendLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.7 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • Semaglutide on its own causes large weight loss, and this is the study behind that claim. Adults took a weekly 2.4 mg shot or a dummy shot for about 16 months. Average weight fell 14.9%, against 2.4% on the dummy. Seven in ten lost at least a tenth of their weight, and half lost at least a sixth. On the dummy it was roughly one in eight and one in twenty. This study tested semaglutide alone. Nothing was mixed in.

      The numbers STEP 1. Mean body weight change of 14.9% on semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly against 2.4% on placebo at 68 weeks, treatment difference 12.4 percentage points. 69.1% lost 10% or more and 50.5% lost 15% or more, against 12.0% and 4.9% on placebo. Semaglutide alone.

      New England Journal of Medicine, 2021· number of people not given

43. 43Tirzepatide with BPC-157BlendLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.7 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • Tirzepatide on its own causes very large weight loss, and this is the study behind that. Adults took a weekly shot at one of three strengths, or a dummy shot, for about 17 months. Average weight fell 15.0%, 19.5% and 20.9% as the dose went up, against 3.1% on the dummy. On the top dose, 57 in every 100 lost a fifth or more of their body weight, against 3 in 100. Stomach and bowel upsets were the usual complaint. Tirzepatide alone, with nothing mixed in.

      The numbers SURMOUNT-1. Mean weight change at 72 weeks of 15.0%, 19.5% and 20.9% on 5, 10 and 15 mg weekly against 3.1% on placebo, with 57% of the 15 mg group losing 20% or more of body weight against 3% on placebo. Gastrointestinal events were the most common adverse events. Tirzepatide alone.

      New England Journal of Medicine, 2022· number of people not given

44. 44BGM1812PeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.1 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • Petrelintide took off weight in early trials, and it is not the same drug as the one on this page. Healthy and overweight adults took weekly injections or a dummy. The body took about ten days to clear half of a dose, which supports weekly dosing. After four months, weight was down by up to 8.6 percent. Nausea was somewhat more common on the drug. BGM1812 was built from petrelintide, but these are petrelintide results. They say nothing directly about BGM1812.

      The numbers Petrelintide, the parent scaffold from which BGM1812 was derived, in randomised placebo-controlled phase 1 trials: half-life about 10 days, weight reduction up to 8.6 percent after 16 weeks of weekly dosing, nausea in 16.7 to 33.3 percent against 16.7 percent on placebo. These are petrelintide data and say nothing directly about BGM1812.

      Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2026· number of people not given

45. 45UBT251PeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.1 reported

    nobody was given it1 watch-only study

    • Blood sugar fell as well as weight in people with type 2 diabetes. Average blood sugar over about three months dropped by up to 2.16 percentage points after 24 weeks, which is a large fall for a diabetes drug. This came from a company announcement about a mid-stage Chinese trial. No independent reviewer has seen the full data, and everyone in the study was Chinese.

      The numbers Glycemic benefit alongside weight loss.

      Novo Nordisk press release, 2026· number of people not givenobserved only, nobody was given it

Vitamins, minerals, amino acids and botanicals sold over the counter, held to the same standard.

1. 01ResveratrolSupplementModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 14 completed trials, 403 people given it.7 reported

   192 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

   • found nothingThe longest and largest diabetes trial of resveratrol found nothing that counted. 192 patients took 40 mg, 500 mg or a dummy pill every day for six months. An inflammation marker fell further on resveratrol, but not by enough to call real. Weight, waist, blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin and a string of other markers did not change. Cholesterol and triglycerides rose slightly on the high dose. Patients earlier in their diabetes did show a real fall in inflammation.

     The numbers The largest and longest diabetes trial here: 192 patients, 40 or 500 mg per day for six months. CRP fell 5.6% and 15.9% versus placebo but not significantly, and there was no significant change in weight, BMI, waist, blood pressure, fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin, C-peptide, free fatty acids, liver enzymes, uric acid, adiponectin or IL-6. Total cholesterol and triglycerides rose slightly on 500 mg. Subgroups with shorter diabetes duration did show a significant CRP reduction.

     Pharmacological Research, 2016· 192 people

2. 02ForskolinSupplementLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 2 completed trials, 53 people given it.5 reported

   23 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

   • found nothingThe same supplement was tested in women and it did not work. 23 mildly overweight women took a 10 percent Coleus forskohlii extract twice a day or a dummy for 12 weeks, seven on the extract. Fat mass, lean mass and body fat percentage came out the same in both groups. Slight leanings toward less weight gain were too weak to call. Blood fats, liver enzymes, thyroid, insulin, heart rate and blood pressure were unchanged. Seven people is too few to spot anything but a huge effect.

     The numbers 23 women randomised double-blind to 250 mg of a 10 percent Coleus forskohlii extract twice daily (n equals 7) or placebo (n equals 12) for 12 weeks. No significant differences in fat mass, fat-free mass or body fat percentage. Non-significant trends toward mitigating gains in body mass (p equals 0.10) and scanned mass (p equals 0.08). Treated participants reported less hunger and fullness. No clinically significant changes in blood lipids, liver or muscle enzymes, thyroid hormones, insulin, heart rate or blood pressure. The authors concluded it does not appear to promote weight loss but may help mitigate weight gain.

     Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2005· 23 people

3. 03Ursolic acidSupplementLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, 16 people given it.6 reported

   16 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

   • found nothingThe entire human record for ursolic acid is sixteen men. 16 healthy men averaging 29 did eight weeks of weight training, seven on training alone and nine also taking ursolic acid capsules three times a day. Body fat percentage fell in the supplemented group. Body weight, body mass index, muscle mass, blood sugar and insulin did not change. Two hormones rose from their own starting points, as did several leg strength measures. Nine people on a supplement cannot settle anything, and nobody has repeated it.

     The numbers 16 healthy men, mean age 29, randomised to eight weeks of resistance training alone (n equals 7) or with ursolic acid (n equals 9), one capsule three times daily. Body fat percentage fell significantly in the supplemented group (p less than 0.001) while body weight, body mass index, lean body mass, glucose and insulin were unchanged. IGF-1 and irisin rose from baseline in the supplemented group, as did several maximal extension and flexion measures.

     Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 2014· 16 people

4. 04MIB-626SupplementModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 4 completed trials, 107 people given it.1 reported

   0 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

   • found nothingThe tablet moved some body measurements and left every measure of physical function untouched. 30 overweight or obese adults aged 45 and over took MIB-626 or a dummy tablet for four weeks. Weight fell by about two kilograms. Blood pressure and cholesterol both came down. Strength, stamina, how quickly muscles tired and stair climbing power did not change. Insulin sensitivity, liver fat and belly fat did not change either. The manufacturer helped fund it. This study looked at many things at once, so treat any single result as a hint.

     The numbers Randomised 2:1, 30 overweight or obese adults aged 45 and over, MIB-626 two 500 mg tablets twice daily for 28 days. Body weight fell 1.9 kg (95 percent CI -3.3 to -0.5, P=.008), diastolic blood pressure fell 7.01 mmHg (-13.44 to -0.59, P=.034), total cholesterol fell 26.89 mg/dL (P=.004) and LDL fell 18.73 mg/dL (P=.007). Muscle strength, muscle fatigability, aerobic capacity and stair-climbing power did not change. Insulin sensitivity, hepatic fat and intra-abdominal fat did not change in either group. Metro International Biotech, the manufacturer, is a listed funder. This is a physiologic study with multiple outcomes rather than a trial powered on one of them.

     Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2023· number of people not given

Approved drugs, biologics and hormones that have been measured for this. They are here because leaving them out would misrepresent the evidence, and they are below the peptides because that is not what most people come here to read.

1. 01OrforglipronSmall moleculeStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 8 completed trials, 17,383 people given it.8 reported

   3,503 people given it3 trials, 2 watch-only

   • The large trial agreed with the small one, though the average loss came out lower. Over three thousand adults took the highest dose of the tablet or a dummy tablet for about seventeen months. Those on the drug lost 11.2 percent of their weight on average, against 2.1 percent on the dummy. More than a third lost at least 15 percent of their starting weight. The figure quoted is the cautious one, which counts everybody, including the people who quit.

     The numbers Phase 3, 3,127 adults: 11.2% weight loss at 72 weeks on 36 mg versus 2.1% with placebo (treatment-regimen estimand); 36% lost 15% or more.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2025· 3,127 people

   • A pill in this drug class produced real weight loss in people with both obesity and type 2 diabetes. 1,613 adults took one of three doses or a dummy pill for about seventeen months. Weight fell by roughly 5, 7 and 10 percent as the dose rose, against about 2 percent on the dummy. More people quit for side effects on the drug. Ten people died, six on drug and four on dummy, judged unrelated. Eli Lilly funded it, and some authors are employees who hold its stock.

     The numbers 1,613 adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes across 136 sites in ten countries, 72 weeks. Weight change by the treatment-regimen estimand was -5.1, -7.0 and -9.6 percent on 6, 12 and 36 mg against -2.5 percent on placebo, all p<0.0001. Discontinuation for adverse events 6.1 to 9.9 percent against 4.1 percent. Ten deaths, six on drug and four on placebo, all judged unrelated except one placebo case and one 12 mg case for which no treatment-related association was reported. Funded by Eli Lilly, with employee-shareholder authors.

     The Lancet, 2026· 1,613 peopleobserved only, nobody was given it

   • Switching from an injection to this pill held most of the lost weight off, though not all. 376 people who had lost weight on tirzepatide or semaglutide were sorted by chance onto orforglipron or a dummy pill for a year. Among those who had already levelled off, the pill held about three quarters of what they had lost. On the dummy it was a third to a half. The authors name the gap themselves: no group stayed on the injection, and the trial ran only a year.

     The numbers 376 people who had been on tirzepatide (205) or semaglutide (171) in SURMOUNT-5, randomized to orforglipron or placebo for 52 weeks. Among those reaching a weight plateau, the tirzepatide cohort held 74.7 percent of its weight reduction against 49.2 percent on placebo and the semaglutide cohort 79.3 percent against 37.6 percent. The authors state the limitations themselves: no arm continued the injectable, and the trial lasted one year.

     Nature Medicine, 2026· 376 people

   • A weight loss drug you swallow instead of inject, and in its first real test it worked. Adults took orforglipron tablets or a dummy tablet for about nine months. Depending on the dose, they lost between 9.4 and 14.7 percent of their body weight. The dummy group lost 2.3 percent. Stomach and bowel upset was common and mostly mild to moderate. This was a middle stage trial, built to find a dose rather than to settle the question.

     The numbers Phase 2: 9.4% to 14.7% weight loss at 36 weeks across doses versus 2.3% with placebo; GI events mostly mild to moderate.

     New England Journal of Medicine, 2023· number of people not given

2. 02BimagrumabBiologicModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 2 completed trials, 507 people given it.1 reported

   507 people given it1 trial

   • Added to semaglutide, it took off more weight than semaglutide managed alone. 507 adults were treated for nearly a year. The high dose combination lost about 17.8 kg, semaglutide on its own about 14.2 kg, the muscle drug on its own about 9.3 kg, and the dummy group about 3.3 kg. In pounds that is roughly 39, 31, 20 and 7. This is a middle stage trial.

     The numbers 507 adults: weight change at 48 weeks was -17.8 kg for high-dose combination, -14.2 kg semaglutide alone, -9.3 kg bimagrumab alone, -3.3 kg placebo.

     Nature Medicine, 2026· 507 people

3. 03HRS-7535Small moleculeModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 2 completed trials, 235 people given it.2 reported

   235 people given it2 trials

   • The pill worked in its first real test in people with obesity. 235 adults in China took one of four doses or a dummy pill. After half a year the top dose took off about 9 percent of body weight, against about 2.5 percent on the dummy. Nausea and other stomach upsets were the most common complaint and were mostly mild. Everyone in the study was Chinese, and half a year is a short look.

     The numbers 235 adults with BMI 28 to 40 randomised across four doses and placebo. At week 26 mean weight change was -9.36% on 180 mg against -2.50% on placebo (placebo-adjusted -6.87%); gastrointestinal events were the most common and were mostly mild to moderate.

     Nature Communications, 2026· 235 people

   • Two large final-stage trials both came out positive. Over about a year, people taking the daily pill lost roughly 11% of their body weight, against a little over 2% on a dummy pill. In the separate diabetes trial, average blood sugar over three months fell by 1.5 to 1.7 percentage points. Both results arrived as a company announcement. Neither trial has been published in full, so the safety detail is not yet public.

     The numbers About 11% weight loss at 50 weeks; HbA1c down 1.5% to 1.7%.

     Kailera press release, 2026· number of people not given

4. 04SupaglutideBiologicModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 190 people given it.

   190 people given it2 trials

   • It lowered blood sugar well in newly diagnosed diabetes, and barely touched weight at the lower dose. A first stage split 140 people across three doses and a dummy. A second stage split 297 more to 1 mg, 3 mg or a dummy. At week 24 average blood sugar fell 1.73 points on 1 mg and 2.15 on 3 mg, ahead of the dummy by 1.26 and 1.68. Weight fell 0.97 and 3.14 percent, and only the higher dose beat the dummy. The sponsoring company's founder wrote the paper.

     The numbers Two-stage seamless adaptive trial in drug-naive adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. Phase 2b randomised 140 participants across 1, 2 and 3 mg weekly and placebo; phase 3 randomised a further 297 to 1 mg, 3 mg or placebo. At week 24 glycated haemoglobin fell 1.73 percentage points on 1 mg and 2.15 on 3 mg, with treatment differences against placebo of 1.26 and 1.68 percentage points. 56 percent and 68 percent reached a glycated haemoglobin below 7.0 percent. Body weight fell 0.97 percent on 1 mg and 3.14 percent on 3 mg, and only the 3 mg weight difference against placebo was significant. Sponsored by Innogen Pharmaceutical; the corresponding author is the company's founder.

     Diabetologia, 2026· 140 people

   • The entire published obesity record for this drug is fifty people. They were spread across five doses and a dummy, starting at an average weight of 92.9 kg. Weight fell 7.16 percent against 0.86 percent on the dummy, and 82.5 percent of treated people lost at least a twentieth of their body weight, against nobody on the dummy. Fat mass fell 4.47 kg. Muscle fell too, by 2.00 kg. This was a dose-ranging study, not an obesity trial, and the drug is not approved for weight management.

     The numbers The entire published obesity efficacy record: 50 participants across five dose cohorts and placebo, mean baseline weight 92.9 kg. Mean weight reduction was 7.16 percent against 0.86 percent on placebo, and 82.5 percent of treated participants lost at least 5 percent against none on placebo. Fat mass fell 4.47 kg and lean mass also fell 2.00 kg. This is a 50 person dose-ranging study, not an obesity efficacy trial, and the compound is not approved for weight management.

     Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2026· 50 people

   Also measured in animals or in the lab

   • In diabetic monkeys. One shot lowered blood sugar for a while, more at higher doses. Four weeks of weekly shots lowered fasting blood sugar. The monkeys ate less and lost weight, and they handled sugar better. This study is filed under the old name. It is one reason a search for supaglutide makes an approved drug look untested.

     The numbers Diabetic rhesus monkeys. A single subcutaneous injection transiently reduced blood glucose dose-dependently; over four weeks of weekly dosing fasting and random glucose fell dose-dependently with declining plasma fructosamine, body weight decreased alongside reduced food intake, glucose tolerance improved and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion increased. A monkey study, indexed under the development name, and one of the reasons a search on supaglutide makes an approved medicine look preclinical.

     Journal of Endocrinology, 2021· animal study

5. 05EnobosarmSmall moleculeModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 1 completed trial, 159 people given it.5 reported

   159 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

   • found nothingMuscle did grow, in people who were losing it to cancer. 159 patients who had already lost weight took one of two doses of enobosarm or a dummy pill for up to about four months. Muscle mass rose on both doses, by roughly 1 to 1.5 kg, while the dummy group did not change. Here is the limit. Growing muscle is not the same as being able to do more, and the larger studies that followed did not succeed.

     The numbers 159 patients with cancer and at least 2% weight loss, randomised to enobosarm 1 mg, 3 mg or placebo for up to 113 days. Total lean body mass rose significantly on both doses (median 1.5 kg on 1 mg, 1.0 kg on 3 mg) while placebo did not change. This is the Phase 2 trial that preceded the POWER Phase 3 program.

     The Lancet Oncology, 2013· 159 people

6. 06LeptinBiologicModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 6 completed trials, 844 people given it.5 reported

   127 people given it1 trial

   • Leptin given to ordinary obese adults produced very little weight loss. 127 people, 54 lean and 73 obese, got one of four doses or a dummy shot. The obese group kept going for 24 weeks while eating less. More leptin did mean more weight loss, but the amounts were small and scattered: about 0.4 kilograms lost on the dummy in four weeks against 1.9 at the best dose. Soreness where the shot went in was the usual complaint. Industry and public money paid for it.

     The numbers 127 adults (54 lean, 73 obese), randomised double-blind placebo-controlled, daily recombinant methionyl human leptin at 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.1 or 0.3 mg/kg, 4 weeks for all and 24 weeks for obese participants on a 500 kcal/day deficit. Dose-dependent weight loss (p 0.02 at 4 weeks, p 0.01 at 24 weeks): 4-week change -0.4 kg on placebo to -1.9 kg at 0.1 mg/kg; 24-week change -0.7 kg (n 6) to -7.1 kg, SD 8.5 (n 8). Injection site reactions most common. Baseline leptin did not predict response. Industry and US government funded.

     JAMA, 1999· 127 people

7. 07GDF15BiologicModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 2 completed trials, 313 people given it.3 reported

   126 people given it1 trial

   • Pushing GDF15 up, rather than blocking it, barely worked in people. A first study gave single doses to 65 overweight or obese volunteers, and the drug hung around for about three weeks. A second gave 126 people with obesity repeated doses over fourteen weeks. Weight loss was minimal. Stomach and bowel side effects were the most common problem. The authors say the strong weight loss seen in animals did not carry over to humans. A company developed the drug.

     The numbers MBL949, a half-life extended recombinant GDF15 dimer. Phase 1: 65 overweight or obese healthy volunteers, single doses 0.03 to 20 mg, terminal half-life 18 to 22 days, evidence of weight loss at higher doses. Phase 2: 126 participants with obesity, five dose regimens every other week for 8 doses over 14 weeks; weight loss was minimal. Gastrointestinal adverse events were most frequent. The authors conclude that the robust weight loss in mice, rats, dogs and monkeys did not translate to humans. Company-developed compound.

     Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2025· 126 people

   Also measured in animals or in the lab

   • In mice and monkeys. GDF15 made obese mice and monkeys lose weight. It works by docking on GFRAL in the brainstem, which needs a partner called RET. Mice without GFRAL did not eat less or lose weight on it. The same docking spot shows up in the human brainstem.

     The numbers Recombinant GDF15 induced weight loss in mice on a high-fat diet and in non-human primates with spontaneous obesity. GDF15 binds GFRAL, expressed in area postrema and nucleus of the solitary tract neurons in mice and humans; deleting GFRAL abolished the food intake and weight effects in mice. Signalling requires the co-receptor RET.

     Nature Medicine, 2017· animal study

8. 08MifepristoneSmall moleculeModerate. At least one finished study in people, and at least 100 people who took it. 2 completed trials, 320 people given it.4 reported

   50 people given it1 trial

   • In Cushing's syndrome, where cortisol is the problem, blocking its receptor with mifepristone improved blood sugar, blood pressure and weight over six months. 50 adults took part, and there was no dummy pill group. Tiredness, nausea, headache and low potassium were common. This is the approved use, not a study of ageing.

     The numbers 50 adults with endogenous Cushing's syndrome, after failed treatment, were given mifepristone 300 to 1,200 mg daily for 24 weeks, open-label, at 17 US centres. In the diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance group 60% had a glucose AUC response; HbA1c fell from 7.43% to 6.29% and fasting glucose from 149 to 105 mg/dL. In the hypertension group 38% had a diastolic pressure response. Mean weight change -5.7%; 87% judged clinically improved. Fatigue, nausea, headache, low potassium, arthralgia, vomiting, oedema and endometrial thickening were common.

     The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2012· 50 people

9. 09HydralazineSmall moleculeStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 1,724 people given it.4 reported

   32 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

   • found nothingHydralazine on its own did not beat a dummy pill in heart failure. Exercise time improved in both groups, which is what a dummy pill can do, and nothing else moved. Thirty-two people, so a small no.

     The numbers 32 patients with class III or IV heart failure on digitalis and diuretics randomised double-blind to hydralazine 200 mg daily or placebo, average follow-up 20 weeks. Exercise duration rose in both groups (259 to 421 seconds on hydralazine, 271 to 339 on placebo) with no significant difference between groups. No change in weight, clinical class, heart size or ejection fraction in either group; clinical events 8 versus 13, not significant.

     American Heart Journal, 1982· 32 people

10. 10SomatropinBiologicLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 2 completed trials, 84 people given it.9 reported

    24 people given it1 trial1 found nothing

    • found nothingGrowth hormone changed what the body was made of without changing what the scales said. Twenty four adults whose bodies made too little growth hormone took it for six months, against others given a dummy version. They gained about 5.5 kg of muscle and lost about 5.7 kg of fat. Total weight barely moved, because the two changes cancelled out. These were people with a diagnosed shortage. It does not say what happens in someone whose own levels are normal.

      The numbers Six months of rhGH in 24 GH-deficient adults raised lean mass by 5.5 kg and cut fat mass by 5.7 kg versus placebo, with no change in body weight.

      New England Journal of Medicine, 1989· 24 people

11. 11TERN-601Small moleculeLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, 3 people given it.3 reported

    3 people given it1 trial

    • TERN-601 caused weight loss, then ended its own program with liver damage. There were two studies, one for 28 days and one for 12 weeks, both against a dummy pill. In the first, every dose led to more weight loss than the dummy pill, with less hunger and slower stomach emptying. In the second, doses of 500 mg and up led to clearly more weight loss by week 12. Three people had liver enzyme rises that pointed to liver damage from the drug, and it was dropped.

      The numbers Phase 1 over 28 days and phase 2 over 12 weeks, both randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled. Phase 1 produced dose-dependent weight loss with statistically significant reductions against placebo at all doses, plus reduced appetite and delayed gastric emptying. Phase 2 produced significantly greater mean percentage weight loss at doses of 500 mg and above at week 12. Gastrointestinal adverse events were class-consistent and dose-related. Three participants in phase 2 experienced transaminase elevations consistent with potential drug-induced liver injury, and those liver safety findings led to discontinuation of clinical development.

      Obesity, 2026· 3 people

12. 12MibavademabBiologicLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 2 completed trials, 1 person given it.

    1 people given it2 trials1 found nothing

    • found nothingThe antibody only worked in people who were already short of leptin. In an early study in people, compared with a dummy shot, it was well tolerated. In the authors' words, it reduced body weight over twelve weeks in people with low leptin in the blood, and had no effect on weight in people whose leptin was higher. One patient given it outside a trial had better triglycerides and less liver fat. In mice bred without leptin, it brought weight, eating and blood sugar back to normal.

      The numbers A fully human antibody activating the leptin receptor with or without leptin. In obese leptin knockout mice it normalised body weight, food intake, blood glucose and insulin sensitivity. In a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled two-part phase 1 it was well tolerated. Verbatim: treatment of individuals with overweight or obesity decreased body weight over 12 weeks in those with low circulating leptin concentrations, under 8 ng/mL, but had no effect on body weight in individuals with higher baseline leptin. Compassionate use in one patient with atypical partial lipodystrophy and neutralising antibodies to metreleptin was associated with improvements in triglycerides and hepatic steatosis.

      Science Translational Medicine, 2023· 1 people

    • The combination trial has finished and has published nothing. Eli Lilly enrolled 392 adults with obesity to compare tirzepatide plus mibavademab against tirzepatide alone, and it completed in April 2026. No results are posted. It matters because losing weight fast drives leptin down, and low leptin is the only state in which this antibody has done anything in people.

      The numbers The combination programme. Relevant because rapid weight loss lowers leptin, which is the state in which this antibody had an effect in phase 1.

      ClinicalTrials.gov, 2026· number of people not given

13. 13EfpeglenatideBiologicStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 2 completed trials, 4,076 people given it.3 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • Used on its own, the drug brought blood sugar down into a normal range. People with type 2 diabetes took it or a dummy injection for about seven months. Their three month average blood sugar started at 8.1 and finished somewhere around 6.4 to 6.9. They lost weight as well. Side effects looked like those of other drugs in this family, mostly stomach and bowel upset. This trial measured blood sugar and weight, not whether anyone lived longer.

      The numbers HbA1c fell to 6.4% to 6.9% from 8.1% at 30 weeks with body weight reduction; tolerability similar to other GLP-1 RAs.

      Diabetes Care, 2022· number of people not given

14. 14TesofensineSmall moleculeLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.8 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • The weight came off because people ate less, not because the drug burned anything. This was a smaller study run inside the main trial, looking at hunger. People taking tesofensine reported weaker appetite and took in less food. That is the mechanism behind the weight loss reported in the main result. Appetite was measured by asking people how they felt, which is the only way to measure it and also the softest kind of measure.

      The numbers Phase 2 sub-study: weight loss was driven mainly by reduced appetite and energy intake.

      Obesity, 2012· number of people not given

    What people using it report

    • There is no experience base to report. What discussion exists is about how the drug works and trial data, and nobody in it describes having taken the compound, which is unusual for a weight loss drug and is the single most useful thing to know about the community material on it.
    • The doses people discuss are the trial amounts rather than anything self-administered, and the point made most often is that the middle amount was described as giving most of the weight change with less effect on blood pressure than the highest one.
15. 15MariTideBiologicLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.1 reported

    0 people given it1 trial, 1 watch-only

    • A once a month injection produced serious weight loss, and it had not finished working when the trial stopped. 592 people took part. Those with obesity lost between 12 and 16 percent of their weight over a year, against about 2.5 percent on a dummy. The weight curve was still falling at the end, so nobody knows yet where it settles. This is a middle stage trial, not a final one.

      The numbers 592 participants: 12.3% to 16.2% weight loss at 52 weeks in the obesity cohort versus 2.5% with placebo (treatment-policy estimand), with no plateau.

      New England Journal of Medicine, 2025· 592 peopleobserved only, nobody was given it

    • This is the company's own account of its trial, given at a conference. It reports up to about 20 percent weight loss in people with obesity after a year, and about 17 percent in people who also had type 2 diabetes. The figure quoted assumes people stayed on the drug. A full late stage programme has now started, and that is what will decide the question.

      The numbers Up to about 20% weight loss (efficacy estimand) in obesity and about 17% with type 2 diabetes at 52 weeks; Phase 3 MARITIME program initiated.

      Amgen press release, 2025· number of people not given

16. 16DanuglipronSmall moleculeLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.3 reported

    0 people given it1 trial, 2 watch-only

    • The first time this pill was given to patients, blood sugar came down and so did weight. Studies at this stage are about finding a dose people can tolerate, in a handful of patients, over a short stretch. It told the company to keep going. It did not tell anybody that the drug works.

      The numbers First-in-patient study of the oral small-molecule GLP-1 agonist, showing glucose lowering and weight loss.

      Nature Medicine, 2021· number of people not givenobserved only, nobody was given it

    • In people with type 2 diabetes, the pill moved everything in the right direction. Over 16 weeks it lowered average blood sugar, fasting blood sugar and body weight compared with a dummy. That is three things improving at once in a mid-sized trial. What happened to this drug afterwards is the part that matters, and it is in the entries below this one.

      The numbers Reduced HbA1c, fasting glucose and body weight at 16 weeks versus placebo.

      JAMA Network Open, 2023· number of people not given

    • The weight loss was real and too many people quit to use it. Over roughly seven months the pill took off a meaningful amount of weight. But the number of people stopping because of side effects ran higher than expected in every group. A drug people cannot stay on does not work in practice, however good the weight numbers look on paper.

      The numbers Clinically meaningful weight loss over 26 to 32 weeks, but discontinuations for adverse events were higher than anticipated in all groups.

      Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2025· number of people not givenobserved only, nobody was given it

17. 17AleniglipronSmall moleculeLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.2 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • A daily pill took off a large amount of weight. Over 44 weeks, the 180 mg dose took off about 16 percent more body weight than a dummy pill. About one person in ten quit the drug. This is still a mid-stage study, and the larger studies that decide approval have not reported.

      The numbers 16.3% placebo-adjusted weight loss at 44 weeks on 180 mg.

      Nature Medicine, 2026· number of people not given

18. 18ElecoglipronSmall moleculeLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 2 completed trials, none stating how many people.1 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • The pill worked, and the effect is real but smaller than the injections deliver. 310 adults took elecoglipron or a dummy pill daily for half a year. On the 75 mg dose the average person lost about a tenth of their body weight. The dummy group lost almost nothing. Six months is a short run for a weight drug, and the injected drugs are usually judged after a year or more.

      The numbers 10.5% weight loss at 26 weeks on 75 mg versus 0.6% placebo.

      The Lancet, 2026· number of people not given

19. 19LotiglipronSmall moleculePreliminary. Studied in people, but no published study has had people take it. 1 registered with no result.3 reported

    0 people given it1 trial

    • Lotiglipron worked on blood sugar and weight, and it was stopped anyway for safety. 901 people took at least one dose, 512 with type 2 diabetes and 389 with obesity. Some got a dummy pill. Average blood sugar fell by up to 1.44 points against almost nothing on the dummy pill. Weight fell by up to 7.47 percent against 1.84 percent. The study was stopped early for safety after a routine review. Nausea reached 60.6 percent at the highest obesity dose. Most people never reached their target dose.

      The numbers Phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging. 901 participants treated with at least one dose, 512 in the type 2 diabetes cohort and 389 in the obesity cohort. Terminated early for safety reasons after routine data and monitoring review, with planned analyses modified before unblinding. HbA1c fell across all doses at week 16 (p < 0.0001), by up to 1.44 percent (90% CI minus 1.63 to minus 1.26) against minus 0.07 percent on placebo. Weight fell across all doses at week 20 (p < 0.01), by up to 7.47 percent (90% CI minus 8.50 to minus 6.43) against minus 1.84 percent on placebo. Most participants on higher doses did not reach their target maintenance dose. Nausea ranged from 4 percent on placebo to 28.8 percent at 80 mg in diabetes, and 12.5 percent on placebo to 60.6 percent at 200 mg in obesity.

      Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2025· number of people not given

20. 20AzelapragSmall moleculePreliminary. Studied in people, but no published study has had people take it. 2 registered with no result.

    0 people given it1 trial

    • The trial was stopped because the drug was inflaming livers. 204 people with obesity aged 55 and over were enrolled to test azelaprag added to tirzepatide against tirzepatide alone. Dosing of both drugs was halted when liver enzyme rises turned up in some people taking azelaprag. Nobody had symptoms from it. The trial is recorded as terminated and closed in February 2025. No results at all have been posted, so there is nothing here about whether the drug worked.

      The numbers Phase 2, 204 participants actual, started 27 June 2024, completed 12 February 2025, status TERMINATED. Primary outcomes were mean percent change in body weight for the once-daily and twice-daily azelaprag arms. The registry's stated reason for stopping, verbatim: dosing of both study drugs was discontinued due to observation of liver transaminitis without clinically significant symptoms in some subjects receiving azelaprag. No efficacy results have been posted.

      ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06515418 (STRIDES), BioAge Labs, 2025· number of people not given

21. 21ClenbuterolSmall moleculeLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 2 completed trials, 11 people given it.5 reported

    nobody was given it1 watch-only study1 found nothing

    • found nothingClenbuterol built leg muscle in heart failure patients and did nothing for their hearts. 7 people supported by a mechanical heart pump took rising oral doses for three months, up to a very high daily amount. Body weight and lean mass rose, and thigh strength improved from about 37 to about 46 kilograms of force. The pumping fraction did not improve and the heart chamber got larger. No serious side effects or rhythm problems appeared, though a muscle enzyme rose in four patients.

      The numbers 7 heart failure patients on a left ventricular assist device given oral clenbuterol up-titrated to 720 micrograms a day for 3 months. No serious adverse events or arrhythmias, creatine phosphokinase rose in 4 patients. Ejection fraction did not improve and end-diastolic dimension increased; body weight and lean mass rose and quadriceps maximal voluntary contraction improved from 37.0 to 45.8 kg. Cardiac function did not improve.

      The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, 2006· 7 peopleobserved only, nobody was given it

22. 22ARD-101Small moleculeLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, 20 people given it.3 reported

    nobody was given it1 watch-only study

    • ARD-101 made people less hungry. The headline weight loss belongs to mice. Adults with obesity took 200 mg twice a day for 28 days, or a dummy pill. They lost 0.8 kg more than the dummy group by day 28, and 1.3 kg by the end. They also reported less hunger and fewer food cravings. The bigger weight loss in the paper came from obese mice, and only when a second drug was added. The drug's maker employs most of the authors.

      The numbers Reports reduced hunger in adults from a gut-restricted bitter taste receptor agonist, alongside weight loss in diet-induced obese mice when combined with a DPP-4 inhibitor. Note the split: the human result is on hunger, and the weight loss result is in mice and required a second drug.

      Molecular Metabolism, 2026· number of people not givenobserved only, nobody was given it

Peptides and blends

1. 01HGH Fragment 176-191PeptideAnimal or lab only. Only animal or lab studies on this page. No study in people yet. 4 animal studies, no human study.5 reported

   2 animal or lab studies

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In obese rats, the tail end of growth hormone copied growth hormone's fat burning in fat tissue and slowed weight gain, without blood sugar problems.

     The numbers The C-terminal 177-191 domain of hGH mimicked GH's lipolytic actions on adipose tissue and reduced weight gain in obese rats without insulin resistance.

     Journal of Molecular Endocrinology, 2000· animal study

   • In obese mice, the stabilized version AOD9604 cut body weight and fat. The closest human data come from the AOD9604 studies, not from this fragment.

     The numbers The stabilized fragment analogue AOD9604 reduced body weight and fat in obese mice; the closest human data come from the AOD9604 programme, not the native fragment.

     Endocrinology, 2001· animal study

2. 02AdipotidePeptideAnimal or lab only. Only animal or lab studies on this page. No study in people yet. 2 animal studies, no human study.6 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   What people using it report

   • Weight loss is not generally disputed in these threads. The argument is entirely about whether the cost in kidney function is acceptable, and the position described as consensus is that it is not.

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In obese rhesus monkeys, adipotide killed off blood vessels in white fat. They lost 7.4 to 14.7% of their weight in four weeks and handled insulin better. Kidney changes grew with the dose and went away after stopping.

     The numbers Adipotide induced apoptosis in white-fat blood vessels of obese rhesus monkeys, producing 7.4 to 14.7% weight loss in four weeks with improved insulin resistance; renal proximal tubule changes were dose-dependent and reversible.

     Science Translational Medicine, 2011· animal study

3. 03IGF-1 LR3PeptidePreliminary. Studied in people, but no published study has had people take it. 1 human study where nobody was given it.8 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • found nothingIn sheep, it was tested properly, and it did not work. Fourteen growth-restricted sheep fetuses were used: seven got IGF-1 LR3 by drip for a week, and seven got the carrier liquid alone. Body weight, insulin, blood sugar, oxygen and the insulin response to sugar came out the same in both groups. One thing did differ: amino acids in the blood fell in the treated animals and not in the others. This is sheep, not people. The authors reported the flat result plainly and declared no conflicts.

     The numbers 14 growth-restricted fetal sheep, 7 infused with IGF-1 LR3 at 1.17 micrograms per kilogram per hour for one week and 7 given vehicle. Body weight, insulin, glucose, oxygen and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion did not differ. Circulating amino acids, notably branched-chain, fell in the treated group and not in controls. A null result, reported as one, with no conflicts declared.

     American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2025· animal study

4. 04BI 3034701PeptidePreliminary. Studied in people, but no published study has had people take it. 2 human studies where nobody was given it.1 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In animals: adding an NPY2 drug to survodutide took off more weight than survodutide alone.

     The numbers Additive weight loss with survodutide in animals.

     PubMed Central PMC12311552, 2025· animal study

5. 05KLOW blendBlendLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, 13 people given it.11 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In mice with gut inflammation. KPV given alone led to faster recovery, more weight regained and less inflammation in the colon. Nothing here tests KPV in a mix or in people.

     The numbers In two mouse colitis models KPV led to earlier recovery, greater body-weight regain, fewer inflammatory infiltrates and lower myeloperoxidase activity in colon tissue. Mouse gut inflammation with KPV given alone; nothing here tests KPV in a blend or in people.

     Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2008· animal study

6. 06DNSP-11PeptideAnimal or lab only. Only animal or lab studies on this page. No study in people yet. 4 animal studies, 1 lab study, no human study.2 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In monkeys. Awake rhesus monkeys got a nose spray at rising doses over 10 weeks, including monkeys given a toxin that damages dopamine cells. Dopamine breakdown products in the brain changed on both sides. No bad behaviour or weight loss was seen. This was a methods study with small groups. Public money paid.

     The numbers Repeated intranasal dosing with dose escalation over 10 weeks in awake rhesus macaques, including MPTP treated animals. Bilateral changes in striatal dopamine metabolites without observed adverse behavioural effects or weight loss. A methods and proof of concept study; group sizes are small. NIH funded.

     Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 2018· animal study

7. 07Deadpool blendBlendAnimal or lab only. Only animal or lab studies on this page. No study in people yet. 1 animal study, 1 lab study, no human study.7 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In mice with an inflamed colon, KPV helped. The mice got better sooner and gained back more weight. Their colon tissue showed less swelling. This was two kinds of mouse gut disease, with KPV given on its own. It says nothing about people or about a blend.

     The numbers In two mouse colitis models KPV produced earlier recovery, greater body-weight regain, fewer inflammatory infiltrates and lower myeloperoxidase activity in colon tissue. Mice, KPV given alone, nothing here about a blend or about people.

     Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2008· animal study

8. 08BPC-157 with KPVBlendAnimal or lab only. Only animal or lab studies on this page. No study in people yet. 1 animal study, no human study.7 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In mice with an inflamed colon, KPV helped. The mice got better sooner and gained back more weight. Their colon tissue showed less swelling. This was two kinds of mouse gut disease, with KPV given on its own. It says nothing about people or about a blend.

     The numbers In two mouse colitis models KPV produced earlier recovery, greater body-weight regain, fewer inflammatory infiltrates and lower myeloperoxidase activity in colon tissue. Mice, KPV given alone, nothing here about a blend or about people.

     Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2008· animal study

9. 09Quad healing blendBlendLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, 13 people given it.8 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In mice with an inflamed colon, KPV helped. The mice got better sooner and gained back more weight. Their colon tissue showed less swelling. This was two kinds of mouse gut disease, with KPV given on its own. It says nothing about people or about a blend.

     The numbers In two mouse colitis models KPV produced earlier recovery, greater body-weight regain, fewer inflammatory infiltrates and lower myeloperoxidase activity in colon tissue. Mice, KPV given alone, nothing here about a blend or about people.

     Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2008· animal study

10. 10Thymosin alpha-1 with KPV and LL-37BlendStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 1,140 people given it.6 reported

    1 animal or lab study

    Measured in animals or in the lab

    • In mice with an inflamed colon, KPV helped. The mice got better sooner and gained back more weight. Their colon tissue showed less swelling. This was two kinds of mouse gut disease, with KPV given on its own. It says nothing about people or about a blend.

      The numbers In two mouse colitis models KPV produced earlier recovery, greater body-weight regain, fewer inflammatory infiltrates and lower myeloperoxidase activity in colon tissue. Mice, KPV given alone, nothing here about a blend or about people.

      Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2008· animal study

11. 11Peptide YYPeptideLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 3 completed trials, 12 people given it.3 reported

    1 animal or lab study

    Measured in animals or in the lab

    • Mostly in rats and mice. PYY3-36 cut eating and weight gain in rats. It cut eating in normal mice but not in mice missing the Y2 receptor. A small human part found that a drip cut eating by 33 percent over a day. The rodent part is the one other labs could not repeat.

      The numbers Peripheral PYY3-36 inhibited food intake and reduced weight gain in rats, and inhibited intake in wild-type but not Y2 receptor knockout mice, with arcuate c-Fos induction and reduced hypothalamic NPY mRNA. A human arm reported that infusion at postprandial concentrations cut intake by 33 percent over 24 hours. The rodent arm is the one that failed replication.

      Nature, 2002· animal study

Supplements

1. 01NRHSupplementLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, 65 people given it.1 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • found nothingIn a dish and in mice. NMNH, what NRH turns into first, raised NAD more than NMN in cells and in mice. In the same experiments, it slowed the cell's main sugar-burning steps, stopped cells dividing and held back cell growth in a dish. Mouse weight did not change. Anyone calling the reduced forms just a stronger NR has to explain this.

     The numbers The reason to be careful with this whole family. NMNH, the direct downstream metabolite of NRH, was a better NAD enhancer than NMN in cells and in mice, and in the same experiments inhibited glycolysis and the TCA cycle, induced cell cycle arrest and suppressed cell growth in vitro. Mouse body weight did not differ. Any claim that a reduced precursor is simply a stronger version of NR has to account for this.

     Journal of Proteome Research, 2021· animal study

Other compounds

1. 01TrodusquemineSmall moleculeAnimal or lab only. Only animal or lab studies on this page. No study in people yet. 2 animal studies, no human study.4 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   What people using it report

   • Dose is guesswork done in public. People scale a single dose animal study by body weight and arrive at single figure milligram amounts for themselves, and note that the dose range used in the human trials was not available to them in the public trial records.

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In fat mice on a rich diet. Weight loss came only from fat.

     The numbers Weight loss confined to adipose tissue.

     Obesity, 2010· animal study

2. 025-Amino-1MQSmall moleculeAnimal or lab only. Only animal or lab studies on this page. No study in people yet. 2 animal studies, no human study.6 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In mice. Blockers of NNMT from the 5-amino-1MQ family cut body weight and fat in mice made fat on a high-fat diet.

     The numbers Small-molecule NNMT inhibitors (the 5-amino-1MQ series) reduced body weight and fat mass in diet-induced obese mice.

     Biochemical Pharmacology, 2018· animal study

3. 03HalofuginoneSmall moleculePreliminary. Studied in people, but no published study has had people take it. 3 human studies where nobody was given it, 1 registered with no result.2 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In obese mice and in pigs. Halofuginone cut how much the animals ate, raised the energy they burned, and caused weight loss. It worked by raising two hormones, FGF21 and GDF15. Mice bred without those hormones did not respond. Note that the paper calls halofuginone FDA-approved for scleroderma. The FDA's approved drug list does not back that up.

     The numbers In diet-induced obese mice and in pigs, halofuginone suppressed food intake, raised energy expenditure and produced weight loss via integrated stress response induction of FGF21 and GDF15; both hormones were required in knockout mice. Animal only. Note that the abstract describes halofuginone as FDA-approved for scleroderma, which the FDA approved drugs database does not support.

     Science Advances, 2025· animal study

4. 04BivamelagonSmall moleculeLimited. People have taken it in a published study, but fewer than 100 of them. 1 completed trial, none stating how many people.1 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In monkeys. This study is not about bivamelagon. Obese male monkeys got a different pill that hits both MC3R and MC4R, and they lost weight. The authors say drugs that hit MC4R alone have done poorly in common obesity. The senior author owns a stake in the company making that pill.

     The numbers Class background only, not about bivamelagon. In male nonhuman primates with diet induced obesity, an oral dual MC3R and MC4R agonist (710GO) produced weight loss, and the authors note that selective MC4R agonists have had limited clinical success in general obesity. The senior author holds equity in the company developing the compound.

     Nature Communications, 2026· animal study

5. 05EmpagliflozinSmall moleculeStrong. At least two finished studies in people, and at least 1,000 people who took it. 3 completed trials, 16,738 people given it.4 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In mice. Naturally old male mice given empagliflozin lived 5.9 percent longer on average. They also did better on learning, memory and balance tests, weighed less, and showed fewer signs of worn-out cells in the liver. Their gut bacteria changed too. This is one lab's study, and nobody else has repeated it.

     The numbers The entire mouse lifespan case, from one laboratory. Empagliflozin extended the median survival of male mice by 5.9 percent, improved learning, memory and motor balance, lowered body weight, reduced hepatic P21 and P16, altered gut flora composition and raised short-chain fatty acids. A single-site study, not part of any multi-site replication programme.

     GeroScience, 2024· animal study

6. 06GW0742Small moleculeAnimal or lab only. Only animal or lab studies on this page. No study in people yet. 3 animal studies, 1 lab study, no human study.3 reported

   1 animal or lab study

   Measured in animals or in the lab

   • In obese female mice losing weight on a diet. Exercise and this type of drug had effects on the immune system and metabolism that added up. Animal work only.

     The numbers Diet-induced obese female mice. Exercise and the PPAR-beta/delta agonist had complementary immunometabolic effects during weight loss. Animal work only.

     International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2019· animal study