Semaglutide and the Research of Peptides for Weight Loss

If you are curious about learning Semaglutide and the research of peptides for weight loss, look no further. This article contains all the information you may need on this topic. Without further ado, let us begin!

Semaglutide and the Research of Peptides for Weight Loss
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Obesity Overview

Since the 1970s, the prevalence of overweight and obesity worldwide has tripled. Overweight and obese are defined as having a body mass index (BMI) around 25.0–29.9 kg/m2 and 30.0 kg/m2. Nearly 40% of adults are overweight, and 13% are obese, and these numbers have steadily increased. Patients who are obese have a higher likelihood of getting comorbid conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, stroke, and even certain forms of cancer.

As a consequence of this, patients who are obese have a higher chance of passing away as a result of cardiovascular issues, which are the leading cause of mortality among patients who are obese. It is anticipated that the expense of addressing the obesity epidemic will take up around 16–18% of the overall health expenditures in the United States by the year 2030. This outcome is yet another unfavorable effect.

In the following, you will learn more about these fascinating new peptides that are now the subject of study to assist you and your research subjects with weight reduction.

A brief history

Glycemic management has historically been considered an essential aspect of treating type 2 diabetes mellitus; however, multifactoral methods, such as improving hyperglycemia, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular risk factors, are just as significant.

Diabetes animal test subjects often have additional metabolic and cardiovascular problems due to insulin insufficiency and pathophysiological alterations. Even though many different treatment methods are available, it is still exceedingly difficult to maintain the subject's glycemic level in clinical practice without causing adverse consequences such as hypoglycemia episodes. The discovery of recombinant proteins and agonists for the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor has been a ray of hope for the effective treatment of diabetes.

What does Semaglutide stand for?

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that may be administered as monotherapy. It has been authorized as a therapeutic option in the second-line therapy for improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes.

GLP-1, a primary incretin hormone, exerts its effects through various pathways, including increased insulin secretion (depending on glucose), inhibition of glucagon release, and suppression of hepatic gluconeogenesis. These processes are all interconnected. Additionally, it causes a delay in the emptying of the stomach, decreased hunger, and decreased overall calorie intake. Its unique position in treating obese type 2 diabetes test subjects stems from its lowering HbA1c levels while simultaneously bringing down body weight without posing any danger of hypoglycemia.

However, due to Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP-4) and Neutral Endopeptidase mediated degradation, it is a contender with a short half-life of about one to two minutes, which is a significant barrier to its therapeutic efficacy. Because of this, several GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as dulaglutide, liraglutide, and Semaglutide, have been developed to function in the same manner as GLP-1 but are less likely to be broken down by proteolytic enzymes. Clinical trials have been conducted using several different GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as exendin-based medicines (exenatide, lixisenatide) and GLP-1 analogs (liraglutide, semaglutide, and dulaglutide).

Recent developments have focused on developing GLP-1 agonists intended to increase test subject adherence by requiring less frequent doses (once weekly). Currently, once-weekly administration is only permitted for three GLP-1 agonists: exenatide extended release, Semaglutide, and dulaglutide (because Albiglutide is no longer available since 2018). Clinical investigations demonstrated that substantial cardiovascular benefits might be achieved with both forms of Semaglutide.

Example from Research

The United States is experiencing an increasing pandemic of obesity. Because gaining weight is linked to an increased risk of developing life-threatening comorbidities like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, there is a significant interest in the research and development of non-invasive pharmacotherapeutics that can assist in the fight against obesity.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are a family of anti-diabetic medications that have demonstrated promising results in test subjects with and without type 2 diabetes supporting glycemic control and aiding weight reduction. In this literature review, the weight loss results from the clinical trial programs SUSTAIN, PIONEER (Peptide Innovation for Early Diabetes Treatment), and STEP are summarized and discussed. These programs were designed to test the effectiveness of Semaglutide in treating type 2 diabetes.

Research models with type 2 diabetes were administered Semaglutide peptide (a novel GLP-1 homolog) once every seven days throughout the SUSTAIN and PIONEER clinical trials, respectively. Test subjects with obesity were given Semaglutide once weekly during the STEP study to see what impact it might have. Researchers collected trial data and other materials essential to the research by doing database searches via the National Center for Biotechnology Information and the US National Library of Medicine Clinical Trials.

This website has research articles to help you better understand research compounds, and you can buy the highest-quality peptides, if you are a licensed professional.