Study readouts, meta-analyses, and preclinical findings across the peptide literature, summarized with links to primary sources.
New PubMed literature from October 19 through October 25, 2026, covered the first phase 3 trial data testing retatrutide for obstructive sleep apnea, pipeline-positioning papers on orforglipron, semaglutide, and tirzepatide, metabolic outcomes from setmelanotide's rare-obesity trials alongside a JAMA review of pediatric obesity, and two mouse studies on gut and kidney peptide protection.
New PubMed literature from October 12 through October 18, 2026, covered the first dedicated cardiovascular-outcomes trial of an oral, non-peptide GLP-1 drug, mechanistic and exploratory papers on mazdutide, survodutide and retatrutide, a correspondence exchange on the TRANSCEND trial, and an anti-doping detection method for the prohibited peptide CJC-1295.
An exploratory analysis of the completed SURPASS-CVOT trial, published online October 15, 2026 in the European Heart Journal family title European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, reports that tirzepatide was associated with fewer deaths and heart-failure events than dulaglutide in people with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, regardless of whether they had a prior history of heart failure.
Applying the SELECT trial's eligibility criteria to a national Danish heart registry, researchers found about 1 in 10 first-time heart attack patients with overweight or obesity had a second major cardiovascular event within 5 years. The study, published online October 9, 2026 in JACC Advances, used a modeled scenario to estimate how much semaglutide might change that trajectory.
New PubMed literature from October 5 through October 11, 2026, covered a cardiovascular-outcomes trial's baseline data for CagriSema, a retrospective comparison of tirzepatide and semaglutide, a JAMA news feature and a case report on unapproved retatrutide products, and updated treatment reviews for osteoporosis in men and in frail older adults.
A randomized, active-controlled Phase III trial in 462 Chinese adults with obesity found HD1916, a chemically synthesized semaglutide made by CSPC Baike, produced body-weight reductions statistically equivalent to the reference product semaglutide (Wegovy) over 44 weeks. The trial was published online October 7, 2026 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
A cohort study linking genetically predicted GLP-1 receptor expression to lower Parkinson's disease risk, published in the October 2026 issue of Brain, drew a direct challenge from researchers behind the Exenatide-PD3 trial, who applied the same genetic score to actual trial data and found it did not predict which patients responded to exenatide.
A paper published October 3, 2026 in Molecular Metabolism reports the discovery and first clinical data on nisotirostide, an investigational Eli Lilly peptide that activates the neuropeptide Y2 receptor and showed synergistic weight loss with a GLP-1 receptor agonist in mice.
The Phase 3 SYNCHRONIZE-2 trial of Boehringer Ingelheim's investigational GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist survodutide in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes was published online October 1, 2026 in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the EASD Annual Meeting in Milan, reporting significantly greater weight loss and blood sugar reduction than placebo.
A 52-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial combining kidney MRI with paired biopsies found semaglutide did not significantly change its three coprimary imaging measures in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, though secondary imaging, histology, and transcriptomic findings suggested reduced vascular resistance and fibrosis. The study, known as REMODEL, was published online October 1, 2026 in Nature Medicine.
Results of Eli Lilly's ACHIEVE-4 cardiovascular outcomes trial, published online September 30, 2026 in The Lancet, report that oral orforglipron met its non-inferiority margin against insulin glargine for major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes at increased cardiovascular risk.
The Phase 3 TRIUMPH-1 trial of Eli Lilly's investigational triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide in adults with obesity was published online September 29, 2026 in the New England Journal of Medicine, providing the trial's first full peer-reviewed results, including nested substudies in knee osteoarthritis and obstructive sleep apnea.
Eli Lilly disclosed complete data from the Phase 3 TRIUMPH-2 trial on September 29, 2026, simultaneously published in The Lancet and presented at the EASD annual meeting in Milan, confirming and expanding on the topline weight-loss and A1C figures the company first announced in July.
Northwestern University researchers report that an antisense oligonucleotide targeting the gene ZFP423 reduced lean-mass loss and increased fat loss when combined with semaglutide in mice, according to a study published September 25, 2026 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
New PubMed literature from September 21 through September 27, 2026, was quieter than recent weeks, with no new phase 3 obesity or diabetes trial data. The most substantive items were two mitochondrial-derived peptide studies in injury models, a prospective clinical study on abaloparatide and bone density after knee replacement, and a cluster of case reports and reviews touching octreotide, desmopressin, teriparatide-family drugs, and linaclotide.
A prespecified analysis of the SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial, published September 24, 2026 in Diabetes Care, found that clinically available baseline factors explained less than 10 percent of the variation in peak weight loss among semaglutide users, though women and people on the highest dose lost substantially more than men and those on lower doses.
A statistical mediation analysis of the SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial, published September 23, 2026 in the European Heart Journal, tested whether weight loss, inflammation, blood sugar, and other measured changes could account for semaglutide's 20 percent reduction in major cardiovascular events. Together they explained less than half of the effect, with wide statistical uncertainty around every estimate.
New PubMed literature from September 13 through September 20, 2026, was a busy week across four threads: new dosing, projected-outcome, and patient-experience data on GLP-1 and amylin-receptor obesity drugs, two bone-forming peptide safety analyses including a pharmacovigilance signal for teriparatide and osteosarcoma reports, two papers on the antimicrobial peptide LL-37, and a cluster of somatostatin-analog, GLP-2, and bleeding-disorder studies.
University of Copenhagen researchers report that pairing the amylin analogue cagrilintide with the triple-hormone-receptor agonist retatrutide produced greater weight loss in diet-induced obese male rats than either drug alone, or than comparator combinations built around semaglutide or tirzepatide. The study, published online in Nature Metabolism on September 15, 2026, was conducted only in male rats and does not establish that the combination is safe or effective in humans.
A post hoc analysis of the phase 3 SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial found semaglutide's reduction in major cardiovascular events did not vary meaningfully by baseline frailty status, and quality-of-life gains were larger in more frail participants. The analysis was published online September 16, 2026 in JAMA Cardiology.
Results posted to ClinicalTrials.gov on September 15, 2026 showed both tested doses of the once-daily orforglipron pill met non-inferiority and superiority margins against oral semaglutide for HbA1c reduction over 52 weeks, with larger average weight loss and more gastrointestinal side effects.
New PubMed literature from September 6 through September 13, 2026, was a quiet week with no new phase 3 trial readout. The literature clustered into four threads: mechanistic and clinical questions about approved GLP-1 drugs, two protein-engineering advances for the antimicrobial peptide LL-37, three papers on kisspeptin's effects on cardiac development, gonadotropin release, and receptor selectivity, and a large real-world safety analysis of desmopressin use around childbirth.
New PubMed literature from August 31 through September 6, 2026 centered on approved GLP-1 drugs used off-label for surgical and bariatric complications, an engineered delivery system for the antimicrobial peptide LL-37, a newly reported brain mechanism for thymosin alpha-1, and two papers on bone-building peptides in patients with kidney disease or organ transplants.
Detailed results filed to ClinicalTrials.gov on September 4, 2026 show body weight fell up to 10.5 percent and A1C fell up to 1.79 percentage points at 72 weeks among 1,613 adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes, with 10 deaths recorded across the trial's four groups.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley report that semaglutide given to older female mice slowed markers of ageing and extended median lifespan by nearly 100 days, with some effects exceeding those of calorie restriction. The study, published online in Nature on September 2, 2026, was conducted in mice only and does not establish an anti-ageing effect or use in humans.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley report that semaglutide given to older female mice for three months extended their lifespan by about 100 days on average and matched or exceeded several benefits of calorie restriction, according to a study published September 2, 2026 in Nature. The authors say there is no indication similar results could be immediately achieved in humans.
A McGill-led team's updated systematic review of 38 randomized trials and nearly 26,000 participants finds tirzepatide and semaglutide still lead approved options, while early data on amycretin and retatrutide point to larger but less certain effects.
New PubMed literature from August 24 through August 30, 2026 was a quieter week with no new phase 3 trial data. The notable items were a clinical case report describing complications after a patient used an online-purchased product marketed as retatrutide, two papers on regenerative and antimicrobial peptides in tissue repair, two reviews on mitochondrial-derived peptides, a biomarker analysis from the completed EXSCEL trial of exenatide, and a review on bone-building peptides in athletic bone stress injuries.
A retrospective analysis of more than 1.5 million matched patients found lower all-cause mortality and fewer cardiovascular events among people who started a GLP-1 receptor agonist rather than an SGLT2 inhibitor, with the largest absolute differences in people with bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, or schizophrenia. The study was published online August 26, 2026 in JAMA Psychiatry.
A phase 2, placebo-controlled trial conducted at 24 US centers found once-weekly mazdutide produced dose-dependent weight loss of up to 18.1 percent over 32 weeks, the first published US population data for the GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist, which is approved in China but remains investigational in the United States.
New PubMed literature from August 17 through August 23, 2026 included a phase 3 trial of the glucagon/GLP-1 dual agonist survodutide in obesity, a phase 2 US trial of mazdutide, a meta-analysis and a biomarker study on cagrilintide and retatrutide, a pediatric trial of dulaglutide in thalassemia-induced diabetes, three papers on bone-building peptides, a basic-science paper identifying a new antimicrobial function for the mitochondrial peptide MOTS-c, and smaller items on GHK-Cu, octreotide, and semaglutide.
ClinicalTrials.gov posted the complete results of PIONEER TEENS on August 21, 2026, the first phase 3 trial of an oral GLP-1 therapy in children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes. The 132-participant trial found oral semaglutide reduced HbA1c more than placebo over 52 weeks. Novo Nordisk has said it plans to seek regulatory approval in this age group but oral semaglutide is not currently approved for pediatric use.
The phase 3 trial, tracking three doses of the oral GLP-1 receptor agonist over a year in 401 participants, found gastrointestinal side effects and treatment discontinuation rose with dose but reported no severe hypoglycemia.
A prespecified secondary analysis of the SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial found semaglutide reduced high-sensitivity C-reactive protein by nearly 38 percent, with the change linked to lower risk of major cardiovascular events independent of weight loss. The findings were published August 18, 2026 in Circulation.
A phase 3b randomized trial conducted at 19 sites in mainland China and Taiwan found once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg produced significantly greater weight loss than placebo, using BMI thresholds defined locally for Chinese and Taiwanese populations. The results were published August 10, 2026 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
A post hoc analysis of the phase 3 SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial found that semaglutide slowed the rise of a validated 25-protein blood test that predicts 5- and 20-year dementia risk, compared with placebo. The analysis was published August 8, 2026 in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.
New PubMed literature from August 2 through August 8, 2026 included four papers on kisspeptin and reproductive-axis signaling, a mediation analysis separating survodutide's liver effects from its weight-loss effects, a multi-drug review of GLP-1 receptor agonists in dialysis patients, a network meta-analysis and a cost-effectiveness review on the bone-building peptide teriparatide, and smaller items on a peptide-coated antibiotic nanoparticle, real-world radionuclide therapy outcomes, and a small case series on gut peptide drugs for constipation.
A prespecified pooled analysis of participant-level data from the SELECT, FLOW, and SOUL randomized trials, covering more than 30,000 people, found semaglutide reduced a composite of kidney failure, major kidney function loss, and kidney- or cardiovascular-related death. The analysis was published August 7, 2026 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
A population-based cohort of nearly 53,000 people with type 2 diabetes and existing atherosclerotic heart disease found fewer heart attacks, strokes, and deaths among tirzepatide users than among those started on sitagliptin. The study and an accompanying editorial were published August 5, 2026 in The BMJ.
GLORY-2 found once-weekly mazdutide produced substantially greater weight loss than placebo in Chinese adults with obesity, while ACHIEVE-5 found oral orforglipron added to titrated insulin glargine improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. Both randomized trials, along with an editorial comparing them, were published August 4, 2026 in JAMA.
New PubMed literature from July 26 through August 1, 2026 included four mechanistic and real-world studies on the bone-building peptides teriparatide and abaloparatide, real-world and post hoc data on tirzepatide and CagriSema, an animal study on orforglipron's effect on aortic aneurysm, two papers on kisspeptin and reproductive-axis signaling, and safety or detection work touching desmopressin, BPC-157, and AOD-9604.
Two companion Phase 2 trials of subcutaneous and oral zenagamtide, the investigational GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist formerly known as amycretin, were published July 30, 2026 in The Lancet, reporting dose-dependent A1C reductions in adults with type 2 diabetes.
A 50-person, placebo-controlled trial published in The American Journal of Psychiatry missed its primary craving endpoint but found semaglutide significantly cut heavy drinking days, drinks per drinking day, and alcohol-related consequences.
A week of new PubMed literature brought dueling papers on activating versus blocking the GIP receptor for weight loss, fresh evidence on bone-building peptides, safety analyses touching retatrutide and weight-loss drugs generally, and a formal regulatory profile of orforglipron following its April 2026 approval.
Results filed to ClinicalTrials.gov on July 20, 2026 show body weight reductions of up to 8.7 percent at 72 weeks in 238 Japanese adults with obesity, alongside higher rates of gastrointestinal side effects and one death in the highest-dose group.
In a 698-person trial spanning fibrosis stages F2 through compensated cirrhosis, the Novo Nordisk combination did not significantly beat placebo, though semaglutide alone showed a nominal signal, according to results published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology on July 15, 2026.
In a 40-week trial funded by Eli Lilly, all three tested doses of the oral GLP-1 pill met the study's non-inferiority bar against a standard SGLT2 inhibitor and produced larger average HbA1c reductions, alongside more gastrointestinal side effects and discontinuations.
A phase 3 trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine found the approved MC4R agonist lowered BMI by 16.5% over 52 weeks in patients with obesity caused by hypothalamic tumors or injury, versus a 3.3% increase on placebo.
A systematic review of 262 trials and nearly 100,000 patients puts tirzepatide, semaglutide, CagriSema, orforglipron, and other peptide-based therapies side by side, and finds that larger weight loss usually comes with larger trade-offs.
A single investigational molecule engages three metabolic hormone receptors at once. Here is what the New England Journal of Medicine data actually showed, and what it does not.
A landmark outcomes study asked whether a GLP-1 peptide prevents heart attacks and strokes, not just weight. The 17,604-person answer reshaped how the class is viewed.
The pivotal obesity trial for tirzepatide reset expectations for what a single injectable peptide could achieve. A look at the actual numbers, endpoints, and caveats.