Drug pipeline
Phase 3 glucagon/GLP‑1 dual agonist targets obesity beyond appetite suppression
Although GLP‑1 agents have transformed appetite‑driven weight management, no approved GLP‑1–based therapies currently combine this effect with direct actions on hepatic and systemic metabolism, leaving an important unmet need. Glucagon/GLP‑1 dual agonists are being developed to address this gap by integrating central satiety effects with peripheral metabolic activity, which may support more targeted fat loss and broader metabolic benefit across patients with obesity and related cardiometabolic risk.
In the phase 3 SYNCHRONIZE‑1 trial, the investigational glucagon/GLP‑1 dual agonist survodutide led to sustained, clinically meaningful weight reduction in adults with obesity or overweight without type 2 diabetes. After 76 weeks, participants receiving survodutide achieved a mean weight loss of up to 16.6% using the efficacy estimand, compared with 3.2% with placebo (P<0.0001), corresponding to an average reduction of 39.2 lb (17.8 kg).
The likelihood of achieving clinically relevant weight loss was also higher with active therapy: 85.1% of treated participants lost at least 5% of body weight vs. 38.8% with placebo (P<0.0001). Exploratory analyses suggest weight reduction was driven primarily by fat mass, with relatively limited lean mass loss.
Beyond weight, survodutide significantly reduced waist circumference compared with placebo, a marker closely linked to visceral adiposity and cardiometabolic risk. Gastrointestinal adverse events were the most common side effects and were generally mild to moderate, consistent with the GLP‑1 class.
“There is an urgent need for new therapies that go beyond weight reduction alone to support meaningful improvements in metabolic health. Survodutide’s dual agonism is particularly exciting, as it offers a promising approach to addressing this significant unmet need in care,” said Professor Carel le Roux, MD, PhD of University College in Dublin, Ireland, and Global Coordinating Investigator of the trial.
Full results will be presented at the ADA 2026 Scientific Sessions.
Source: Boehringer Ingelheim. (2026, April 28). Press release. Boehringer Ingelheim’s novel glucagon/GLP-1 dual agonist survodutide achieved significant weight loss of 16.6% delivering meaningful metabolic improvement in people with obesity or overweight in Phase III trial