Manjauro! Ozempic! Wegovy! No, it’s not the lyrics to a Paul Simon song on “Graceland.” And no, I’m not speaking in tongues – unless pharmaceuticalese is a language. I’m talking about GLP-1 receptor agonists.
GLP-1s – glucagon-like peptide-1s – are synthetically produced versions of a naturally occurring human hormone, and arguably the blockbuster drug of the decade. The hormone functions in three ways: it tells the pancreas to increase insulin production, it tells the stomach to slow down and hold onto its contents a little while longer and it tells the brain that you’re full.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm$FAA=6>6?E:?8 J@FC ?2EFC2==J @44FCC:?8 v{!\` H:E9 2 DJ?E96E:4 v{!\` C646AE@C 28@?:DE D:>A=J EFC?D FA E96 G@=F>6 @? 2== E9C66 @7 E96D6 AC@46DD6D] xE’D =:<6 AFD9:?8 E96 A652= E@ E96 >6E2=]k^Am
kAm~C:8:?2==J 2AAC@G65 3J E96 u@@5 2?5 sCF8 p5>:?:DEC2E:@? 2D 2 G6CJ 67764E:G6 3=@@5 DF82C C68F=2E@C 7@C 25F=ED H:E9 %JA6 a 5:236E6D[ 7@=<D D@@? 5:D4@G6C65 2? 2EEC24E:G6 D:56 67764Ei E96J H6C6 =@D:?8 `_ A6C46?E E@ a_ A6C46?E @7 E96:C 3@5J H6:89E]k^Am
kAm tG6?EF2==J[ E96 usp 2AAC@G65 D@>6 @7 E96 v{!\` 5CF8D 7@C H6:89E =@DD 7@C A6CD@?D H9@ H6C6 4=:?:42==J @G6CH6:89E @C @36D6 – E96 @77:4:2= 567:?:E:@?D 36:?8 2 3@5J >2DD :?56I @7 ad E@ ah]h 7@C E96 7@C>6C 2?5 b_ @C 9:896C 7@C E96 =2EE6C] %@ 42=4F=2E6 J@FC q|x[ 5:G:56 J@FC H6:89E :? A@F?5D 3J E96 DBF2C6 @7 J@FC 96:89E :? :?496D W96:89E E:>6D 96:89EX 2?5 >F=E:A=J E96 C6DF=E 3J f_b] ~C 2D< J@FC 7:7E9 8C256 49:=5 E@ 5@ :E – :E’== 36 72DE6C] x7 J@F H2?E E@ 42=4F=2E6 J@FC q|x :? <:=@8C2>D 3J >6E6CD DBF2C65[ 2D< J@FC 5@4E@C @C >@G6 E@ tFC@A6]k^Am
kAmx 42=4F=2E65 >J q|x[ 2?5 :E’D ?@?6 @7 J@FC 52?8 3FD:?6DD] {6E’D ;FDE D2J x’5 BF2=:7J 7@C q=F6 rC@DD E@ A2J 7@C (68@GJ]k^Am
kAm}@H[ J@F >:89E E9:?< E92E 2 H6:89E =@DD 5CF8 :D 2 G2?:EJ AC6D4C:AE:@?[ 3FE :? ECFE9[ @36D:EJ >:89E 36 E96 }@] ` 962=E9 AC@3=6> :? p>6C:42 E@52J[ 2?5 =67E F?EC62E65[ E96 =@?8\E6C> 67764ED 42? 36 5625=J] #:D<D :?4=F56 5:236E6D[ 9:89 3=@@5 AC6DDFC6[ 962CE 5:D62D6[ DEC@<6[ 72EEJ =:G6C 5:D62D6[ D=66A 2A?62[ 2CE9C:E:D[ 82==3=2556C :?7=2>>2E:@?[ A2?4C62E:E:D[ <:5?6J 72:=FC6[ D6IF2= 5JD7F?4E:@?[ AC68?2?4J 4@>A=:42E:@?D 2?5 >6?E2= 962=E9 5:D@C56CD] k^Am
kAmp?5 H9:=6 E96C6 :D ?@E 2 AC@G6? 5:C64E 42FD6\2?5\67764E C6=2E:@?D9:A[ E96C6 :D 2 9:89 4@CC6=2E:@? 36EH66? @36D:EJ 2?5 42?46CD @7 E96 3C62DE[ 4@=@?[ AC@DE2E6[ @G2CJ[ 6?5@>6EC:F> 2?5 82==3=2556C]k^Am
kAm{@@<:?8 2E E96 AC@3=6> @7 @36D:EJ 7C@> 2? 64@?@>:4 2?8=6[ E96 p=232>2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 !F3=:4 w62=E9 6DE:>2E6D E92E @36D:EJ 4@DED E96 DE2E6 @7 p=232>2 23@FE Sf]a 3:==:@? A6C J62C :? 5:C64E >65:42= 4@DED 2?5 :?5:C64E 4@DED[ DF49 2D 23D6?E66:D> 2?5 =@DE AC@5F4E:G:EJ 2E H@C<]k^Am
kAmxE >2<6D D6?D6[ 4@F?E6C:?EF:E:G6=J[ 7@C :?DFC2?46 E@ 4@G6C E96 4@DE @7 H6:89E =@DD 2?5 5:236E6D >65:4:?6D :7 H:56C FE:=:K2E:@? @7 E96D6 5CF8D 42? 3C:?8 5@H? E92E 9:89 4@DE @7 @36D:EJ E@ E96 DE2E6’D 64@?@>J]k^Am
kAm$@[ H:E9 p=232>2 36:?8 E:65 H:E9 pC<2?D2D 7@C E96 7@FCE9\9:896DE C2E6 @7 @36D:EJ 2E bh A6C46?E[ E92E’D `]h >:==:@? 25F=ED :? 2 DE2E6 @7 @?=J d >:==:@? :?923:E2?ED] x7 J@F E9C@H :? @G6CH6:89E 2?5 @36D6 C6D:56?ED E@86E96C[ ?62C=J D6G6? :? `_ @7 FD 2C6 @? E96 C@25 E@ H6:89E\C6=2E65 49C@?:4 :==?6DD6D]k^Am
kAmp=232>2 2=D@ C2?<D 7:7E9 :? E96 ?2E:@? 7@C v{!\` FD286[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 |@?E8@>6CJ p5G6CE:D6C ?6HDA2A6C] k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 7:CDE 4@>A=:42E:@?D @7 @36D:EJ :D >6E23@=:4 DJ?5C@>6i E96 E:AA:?8 A@:?E H96C6 J@F >2J ?@ =@?86C 36 23=6 E@ 6C2D6 J@FC H6:89E H:E9 5:6E 2?5 6I6C4:D6] %9:D :D E96 DH66E DA@E H96C6 v{!\`D 42? 36 2? 67764E:G6 25;F?4E E@ 86EE:?8 J@FC H6:89E F?56C 4@?EC@=] $@[ :7 bh A6C46?E @7 FD 2C6 @36D6[ 3FE @?=J a A6C46?E @7 FD 2C6 @? @?6 @7 E96D6 H6:89E =@DD 5CF8D[ H9J 2C6?’E E96 @E96C bf A6C46?E :? E96 82>6nk^Am
kAm~?6 C62D@? :D E92E v{!\`D[ =:<6 2?J 2?5 2== @E96C AC6D4C:AE:@? >65:4:?6D[ 2C6 ?@E H:E9@FE E96:C D:56 67764ED – >@DE @7 E96> >:?@C[ 3FE :? C2C6 :?DE2?46D[ D:8?:7:42?E]k^Am
kAm%96 9:896DE C:D< 4@>6D 7@C A6CD@?D H:E9 2 A6CD@?2= @C 72>:=J 9:DE@CJ @7 >65F==2CJ E9JC@:5 42?46C @C >F=E:A=6 6?5@4C:?6 ?6@A=2D:2 DJ?5C@>6[ H9:49 42? 36 DE:>F=2E65 3J E96D6 5CF8D] ~E96CH:D6[ E96 >2:? D:56 67764ED 2C6 ?2FD62[ G@>:E:?8 2?5 5:2CC962[ FDF2==J H96? 7:CDE DE2CE:?8 E@ E2<6 E96 5CF8]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C @3DE24=6 :D E96 9:89 4@DE @7 E96D6 5CF8D[ 6DA64:2==J 7@C F?:?DFC65 A2E:6?ED] #6E2:= 4@DED 42? CF? 2D 9:89 2D S`e[___ 2 J62C[ 2=E9@F89 5:D4@F?E AC@8C2>D =:<6 v@@5#I 42? 5C@A E92E 2??F2= 4@DE E@ 2C@F?5 Sd[___]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F 92G6 :?DFC2?46[ J@F’== 7246 @E96C @3DE24=6D] $@>6 :?DFC2?46 A=2?D 4@G6C v{!\`D @?=J 7@C 5:236E6D] %9@D6 E92E 5@ 4@G6C E96 5CF8D 7@C H6:89E =@DD FDF2==J 2AA=J E:89E C6DEC:4E:@?D F?56C H92E 4@?5:E:@?D E96J 2C6 4@G6C65 – 6FA96>:DE:42==J E6C>65 “>65:42= ?646DD:EJ” 3J E96 962=E9 A=2?D] r@G6C286 FDF2==J C6BF:C6D AC:@C 2FE9@C:K2E:@? 2?5 DF3>:DD:@? @7 >65:42= C64@C5D E@ DFAA@CE E96 5:28?@D:D]k^Am
kAmqFE 96C6’D E96 C62= EC2A H:E9 v{!\` C646AE@C 28@?:DEDi @?46 J@F DE2CE E2<:?8 E96>[ :E’D 92C5 E@ DE@A] q642FD6 H96? J@F DE@A[ :7 J@F 92G6?’E >256 D:8?:7:42?E =:76DEJ=6 492?86D[ E96? J@F’C6 2AE E@ C682:? E96 H6:89E J@F =@DE H9:=6 @? E96 5CF8]k^Am
kAmx? 724E[ DEF5:6D D9@H E92E FA E@ ga A6C46?E @7 A6@A=6 C682:? @?6\7@FCE9 @C >@C6 @7 E96 H6:89E E96J =@DE H:E9:? 2 J62C @7 5:D4@?E:?F:?8 E96:C v{!\`]k^Am
kAm%96D6 5CF8D H@C< 3J DFAAC6DD:?8 J@FC D6?D6 @7 9F?86C] (96? J@F DE@A E2<:?8 E96 5CF8[ 9F?86C A2?8D C6EFC?[ H9:49 =625D E@ :?4C62D65 7@@5 :?E2<6] x? 255:E:@?[ H96? J@F =@D6 2 =@E @7 H6:89E C2A:5=J[ J@F 2=D@ =@D6 >FD4=6 >2DD[ H9:49 =@H6CD J@FC >6E23@=:D> 2?5 >2<6D :E 62D:6C E@ 82:? H6:89E] %9:D :D H9J :E’D D@ :>A@CE2?E E@ 6I6C4:D6[ H96E96C @77 @C @? 2 v{!\`]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F H2?E E@ 4@>6 @77 E96 5CF8 2E D@>6 A@:?E[ H@C< H:E9 J@FC 5@4E@C E@ 8C25F2==J C65F46 J@FC 5@D6[ C2E96C E92? BF:EE:?8 4@=5 EFC<6J] |2:?E2:? 2 4@?D:DE6?E[ 962=E9J 5:6E[ H:E9 :?4C62D65 AC@E6:? :?E2<6 E@ AC6D6CG6 >FD4=6 >2DD 2?5 >@?:E@C J@FC H6:89E C68F=2C=J E@ :56?E:7J H6:89E 82:? 62C=J]k^Am
kAmx H2?E E@ 9:89=:89E @?6 >@C6 C:D<[ 2?5 E92E :D E96 C:D< @7 23FD:?8 v{!\`D – @?6 >@DE =:<6=J E@ @44FC H:E9 A6@A=6 H:E9 62E:?8 5:D@C56CD[ =:<6 2?@C6I:2 ?6CG@D2] yFDE =:<6 5:6E\255:4E65 A6@A=6 92G6 >:DFD65 @E96C 5CF8D :? E96 A2DE[ =:<6 5:FC6E:4D[ =2I2E:G6D 2?5 2>A96E2>:?6D[ E96J 2C6 3@F?5 E@ >:DFD6 v{!\`D] p?645@E2= 42D6D 92G6 366? C6A@CE65 @7 A6@A=6 23FD:?8 E96 5CF8 3J :?4C62D:?8 5@D6 @C 7C6BF6?4J :? @C56C E@ EC:886C 6I46DD:G6=J C2A:5 H6:89E =@DD]k^Am
kAm%96 4@?D6BF6?46D @7 23FD:?8 E96D6 5CF8D 7@C C2A:5 H6:89E =@DD 42? 36 92C>7F=[ 6G6? 5625=J[ EC:886C:?8 D6G6C6 G@>:E:?8[ 5:2CC962 2?5 569J5C2E:@?[ H9:49 42? =625 E@ A@E6?E:2==J 72E2= 6=64EC@=JE6 :>32=2?46D]k^Am
kAmxE’D :>A@CE2?E[ E96?[ E@ FD6 E96D6 5CF8D F?56C E96 4=@D6 DFA6CG:D:@? @7 2 A9JD:4:2?]k^Am
kAm$@[ H92E 23@FE 7@=<D H9@ 2C6 >@C3:5=J @36D6[ 7@C H9@> v{!\`D 2C6 ?@E DF77:4:6?E E@ >2?286 H6:89En u@C E9:D A@AF=2E:@?[ E96C6 :D 32C:2EC:4 H6:89E =@DD DFC86CJ] qFE E92E’D 2?@E96C DE@CJ 7@C 2?@E96C 4@=F>?]k^Am
~ George Miranda is the director of the UAB Medicine – Russell Medical Cancer Center.
