Podcast (The Weekly Bioanalysis) Eps #92: “GLP-1 Agonists – the Current State of Play and What’s Next”

During episode #92 of The Weekly Bioanalysis, our hosts, John and Dom, dive into GLP-1 receptor agonists—originally developed for type 2 diabetes—and how their mechanisms (stimulating insulin, slowing gastric emptying, and reducing glucagon) also drive significant weight-loss effects. They discuss why native GLP-1 is too short-lived to be therapeutic and outline engineering strategies that extend half-life (e.g., fatty-acid albumin binding or Fc-fusion), walking through approved agents like exenatide, liraglutide, dulaglutide, lixisenatide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide (a dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist). Our hosts note bioanalytical implications of peptide size and structure, and common outcomes/side effects such as appetite suppression and occasional GI symptoms or nausea. We are excited to welcome John’s wife. Catherine, to the podcast for the first time. She joins to highlight her experiences and the real-world benefits of her GLP-1 treatments. The conversation closes by framing these drugs less as “weight-loss meds” and more as tools for broader metabolic health, with growing research and potential future indications.

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