Next Chapter for Weight Control — Small-Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonists?

Obesity is a major risk factor for many health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and cancer. The therapeutic armamentarium for long-term weight management is limited by side effects and contraindications.1 Two injectable incretin-based glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists — liraglutide (3.0 mg daily) and semaglutide (2.4 mg weekly) — have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight management, with better side-effect profiles than other treatments. An oral formulation of semaglutide (7 or 14 mg once daily) has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of type 2 diabetes but not yet . . .