GLP ‐1 Receptor Agonists for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity

An alternative to insulin-based therapy treatments of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is based on the intriguing peptide hormone glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1). Several decades passed from the initial discovery of GLP-1 in the 1980s to the launch of the first GLP-1 receptor agonist-based therapy. However, in the past 10 years several new products have been launched, and we continue to learn more and more about this fascinating hormone class both from a biological and structural perspective. The field is continuously growing, and just recently an oral tablet of a GLP-1 receptor agonist was approved by the American Food and Drug Administration for treatment of T2DM. This chapter will provide an overview of the pharmaceutical developments and future directions within GLP-1 receptor agonist-based therapies.