Therapeutic hub
Metabolic Peptides
Incretin-based medicines are the most heavily evidenced peptide class in modern metabolic medicine — and the most heavily counterfeited.
Regulatory picture
Approved medicines and active phase 3 candidates coexist with widespread unapproved supply.
What this area covers
Metabolic peptide therapeutics act mainly on incretin and glucagon signalling to influence glycaemic control, appetite, and body weight. Several agents have large randomised trial programmes with cardiovascular and renal outcome data.
This is also the area where regulatory status is most often blurred in consumer messaging. Approved products, compounded preparations, and 'research use only' material are frequently discussed as if they were interchangeable. They are not.
Fig. 02 / Molecular pathwayHow to interpret the evidence
Read indication and population before effect size. A trial in people with type 2 diabetes does not establish outcomes in people without it, and a weight-management trial does not establish long-term cardiovascular benefit unless that endpoint was measured.
Durability matters: most trials show weight regain after discontinuation, which frames these medicines as chronic-condition management rather than a course of treatment.
Open questions
Long-term safety in younger and healthier populations, muscle mass preservation, effects after discontinuation, and comparative effectiveness between agents remain incompletely answered.
Fig. 03 / Evidence landscapeProfiles in this area
Semaglutide
Metabolic · Metabolic / endocrine
A long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes and, at higher doses, chronic weight management. One of the most extensively studied peptide medicines in modern endocrinology.
Tirzepatide
Metabolic · Metabolic / endocrine
A dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management, with an expanding trial programme across cardiometabolic and sleep-related indications.
Retatrutide
Metabolic · Metabolic
An investigational triple agonist targeting GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptors. Phase 2 data have been reported; it is not an approved medicine anywhere.
Editorial disclaimer
This site is educational and does not provide medical advice, dosing protocols, or treatment recommendations. Regulatory status and evidence strength differ sharply between compounds. A “research use only” label does not indicate that a product is appropriate for human use. Decisions about medicines belong with a qualified clinician.