A wave of new research is expanding what clinicians and health system leaders know about GLP-1 medications, covering new territory from liver disease to male fertility to a blood pressure safety signal.
- GLP-1 medications did not harm male hormones or fertility after long-term use and may improve testosterone and sperm quality in men with obesity-related low testosterone. Researchers said the findings support treating underlying obesity as a driver of low testosterone rather than defaulting to testosterone replacement therapy.
- Researchers at Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine identified a hypotension safety signal in GLP-1 users already taking multiple blood pressure medications, according to a June 13 system news release. In an analysis of more than 42,000 adults, hypotensive events — including dizziness, fainting and falls — rose from 8.7% to 10.2% within six months of starting GLP-1 therapy, with risk remaining elevated at 12 months. Adults 65 and older accounted for 53% of events despite representing 37% of the study population. Researchers said weight loss alone did not explain the increased risk and urged clinicians to monitor high-risk patients, particularly those obtaining GLP-1s without physician oversight.
- Middle-age adults using GLP-1s for obesity could save an average of $192,735 in lifetime medical costs. Adults starting treatment between ages 25 and 30 could save as much as $270,800.
- Drugmakers including Pfizer, Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim and Amgen are developing next-generation GLP-1 therapies targeting injection frequency, gastrointestinal side effects and muscle mass loss. Boehringer Ingelheim reported Phase 3 data showing its GLP-1 and glucagon combination reduced lean-mass loss to 10.8% of total weight lost — versus 25% to 40% with current therapies — while delivering 16.6% average total body weight loss over 72 weeks. Pfizer is testing a monthly formulation that could cut injections from 52 per year to as few as 13.
- Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1 Foundayo (orforglipron) outperformed oral semaglutide on blood sugar control and weight loss in the first head-to-head Phase 3 trial of two oral GLP-1 therapies. At 52 weeks, patients on Foundayo 17.2 milligrams lost 19.7 pounds on average, versus 11 pounds for oral semaglutide.
- An experimental dual agonist, survodutide, produced significant liver fat reduction and weight loss in a Phase 3 trial of adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, according to a study conducted by researchers in the U.S., Candada and Europe and published June 7 in Nature Medicine. Among patients given survodutide over 48 weeks, 84% reduced liver fat by at least 30% versus 24% on placebo, and 61% reached normal liver fat levels versus 5.7% on placebo. Patients also lost an average of 12% of body weight versus 1% on placebo. The drug has received FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation.
- GLP-1 use was linked to lower incidence and improved outcomes across multiple cancer types, including breast, colorectal, prostate, pancreatic, liver and non-small cell lung cancers. Among more than 841,000 breast cancer patients, GLP-1 use was associated with reduced all-cause mortality and lower recurrence risk in patients with obesity or Type 2 diabetes.
- Oral Wegovy surpassed 3 million prescriptions in just over five months following its Jan. 5 U.S. launch — roughly one script every five seconds. The milestone comes as the oral GLP-1 market intensifies, with Lilly’s June head-to-head data directly contesting Novo’s earlier claims that oral semaglutide outperforms orforglipron on weight loss and GI tolerability.
Resource: 8 GLP-1 findings to know