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Biological Chemistry

Periodic Graphics

Periodic Graphics: The science of weight-loss drugs

Chemical educator and Compound Interest blogger Andy Brunning explores the blockbuster weight-loss drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists.

by Andy Brunning, special to C&EN
January 23, 2025 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 103, Issue 2

 

To download a pdf of this article, visit cenm.ag/weightlossdrugs.

References used to create this graphic:

Alfaris, Nasreen, Stephanie Waldrop, Veronica Johnson, Brunna Boaventura, Karla Kendrick, and Fatima Cody Stanford. “GLP-1 Single, Dual, and Triple Receptor Agonists for Treating Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity: A Narrative Review.” eClinicalMedicine (September 2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102782.

Ghusn, Wissam, Alan De la Rosa, Daniel Sacoto, Lizeth Cifuentes, Alejandro Campos, Fauzi Feris, Maria Daniela Hurtado, and Andres Acosta. “Weight Loss Outcomes Associated with Semaglutide Treatment for Patients with Overweight or Obesity.” JAMA Network Open (Sept. 2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.31982.

Liu, Yupeng, Binye Ruan, Huinan Jiang, Siyu Le, Yi Liu, Xuemei Ao, Yufeng Huang, et al. “The Weight-Loss Effect of GLP-1RAs Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists in Non-diabetic Individuals with Overweight or Obesity: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Am. J. Clin. Nutr. (Sept. 2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.04.017.

Moll, Hannah, Eliane Frey, Philipp Gerber, Bettina Geidl, Marco Kaufmann, Julia Braun, Felix Beuschlein, Milo A. Puhan, and Henock G. Yebyo. “GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Reduction in People Living with Obesity but without Diabetes: A Living Benefit-Harm Modelling Study.” eClinicalMedicine (July 2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102661.

Popoviciu, Mihaela-Simona, Lorena Păduraru, Galal Yahya, Kamel Metwally, and Simona Cavalu. “Emerging Role of GLP-1 Agonists in Obesity: A Comprehensive Review of Randomised Controlled Trials.” Int. J. Mol. Sci. (July 2023). DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310449.

Zheng, Zhikai, Yao Zong, Yiyang Ma, Yucheng Tian, Yidan Pang, Changqing Zhang, and Junjie Gao. “Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor: Mechanisms and Advances in Therapy.” Signal Transduction Targeted Ther. (Sept. 2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01931-z.

A collaboration between C&EN and Andy Brunning, author of the popular graphics blog Compound Interest

To see more of Brunning’s work, go to compoundchem.com. To see all of C&EN’s Periodic Graphics, visit cenm.ag/periodicgraphics.

CORRECTION:

This graphic was updated on Jan. 29, 2025, to correctly describe the actions of glucagon-like peptide 1 in the liver. It decreases glucose production from glycogen, not glucagon.

 

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