Study shows benefits and risks from GLP-1RAs

A new study has considered some of the potential benefits and risks of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), which are increasingly being used to treat diabetes and obesity.

This study, published Monday in Nature Medicine, used US Department of Veterans Affairs databases to build a cohort of people with diabetes who started treatment with GLP-1Ras and compared them to those who began taking sulfonylureas, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors or sodium−glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a control group composed of an equal proportion of people initiating sulfonylureas, DPP4 inhibitors and SGLT2 inhibitors, and a control group who continued with non-GLP-1RA antihyperglycemics (usual care). -

Leading on-market GLP-1Ras include semaglutide - Novo Nordisk’s (NOVN: VX) drug marketed as Wegovy and Ozempic, and Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: LLY) tirzepatide, which is branded as Mounjaro and Zepbound.