Wonder Drug? The GLP-1 Story · Episode 2 of 6 · 26 min
The Family of Molecules
Public talk about GLP-1 drugs is full of muddles. This episode traces the real family of medicines from a single gene, from exenatide and semaglutide to dual and triple agonists. It explains why GLP-2 exists and grows the intestine, and why GLP-3 does not exist at all.
Timeline
- 2005Exenatide (Byetta) approved as the first GLP-1 receptor agonist
- December 2012Teduglutide, a GLP-2 analog, approved for adult short bowel syndrome
- November 2023Tirzepatide (Zepbound) approved for obesity
- December 2025Oral Wegovy approved, the first oral GLP-1 for weight loss
- April 2026Orforglipron (Foundayo) approved as the first oral small-molecule GLP-1 agonist
Still debated
Longer-term safety, durability after stopping, and tolerability of the newest multi-receptor drugs are still being established. Approval timing for retatrutide, CagriSema and survodutide, and the future of GLP-2 drugs beyond teduglutide, remain open.