Peptide News and Analysis
Regulatory updates, clinical trial coverage, and evidence-based analysis of what's actually happening in the peptide space.
Semaglutide Beat Tirzepatide on Heart Outcomes in 21,000-Patient Real-World Study
STEER linked semaglutide to 29% fewer major cardiac events than tirzepatide in patients with heart disease. Why outcomes, not weight loss, may decide.
Retatrutide Hits 28.3% Weight Loss in Pivotal Phase 3 TRIUMPH-1 Trial
Lilly's retatrutide hit 28.3% average weight loss at 12 mg in the pivotal Phase 3 TRIUMPH-1 obesity trial. What the data shows—and what it doesn't yet.
Medicare’s GLP-1 Bridge Starts July 1: $50 Copays, Three Drugs, and One Catch
Starting July 1, 2026, Medicare covers Wegovy, the Zepbound KwikPen, and Foundayo at $50 a month under the new Medicare GLP-1 Bridge. The fine print matters.
ATTAIN-MAINTAIN: Foundayo Maintains 78–82% of Injectable Weight Loss Over 52 Weeks
Lilly's ATTAIN-MAINTAIN Phase 3b: patients switching from injectable Wegovy or Zepbound to oral Foundayo maintained 78–82% of weight loss over 52 weeks. Nature Medicine.
Wegovy Pill: 21.6% Weight Loss in Early Responders at ECO Day 2
ECO Day 2: Novo's Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide 25 mg) data shows 28.8% of patients qualify as early responders, reaching 21.6% weight loss by Week 64 — narrowing the oral-injectable gap.
89,718 Patients: The Largest Real-World Study of GLP-1 Weight Loss and Comorbidity Risk
Wilding et al. RWE at ECO 2026: 89,718 patients on semaglutide/tirzepatide/liraglutide. ≥15% weight loss = 37% lower OA risk, 69% lower OSA risk. Plus the 50% discontinuation problem.
STEP UP at ECO: Semaglutide 7.2 mg Hits 27.7% Weight Loss in Early Responders
ECO Day 1: Novo's STEP UP data on Wegovy 7.2 mg shows 27.7% weight loss in early responders at Week 72. Plus MRI sub-study confirms 84% of weight loss is fat, not muscle.
Pre-ECO Data: GLP-1s Work in Adults 65+, and the Timing Lines Up with Medicare’s Bridge
Pre-ECO 2026 subgroup data: orforglipron and semaglutide both produce robust weight loss in adults 65+. The evidence base arrives exactly as Medicare's GLP-1 Bridge launches.
Medicare’s GLP-1 Bridge: $50/Month Copay for Wegovy, Zepbound, and Foundayo Starting July
Medicare GLP-1 Bridge launches July 1, 2026: $50/month copay for Wegovy, Zepbound KwikPen, and Foundayo through Dec 2027. The first program to breach the weight-loss-only coverage ban.
International GLP-1 Enforcement Converges: Connecticut, France, and the End of the Wild West
Connecticut AG settles with Made-in-China.com — first international e-commerce GLP-1 action. France fines Novo and Lilly €1.9M for indirect promotion. Enforcement converging.
An NIH-Funded Nature Paper Maps a Brain Reward Circuit Reached by Oral GLP-1s
NIH-funded Nature paper: oral GLP-1 drugs activate the central amygdala, a deeper brain region than expected. The mechanism behind beyond-weight-loss applications.
Novo Nordisk Q1: Wegovy Pill Hits 1.3 Million Prescriptions in Its First Quarter
Novo Nordisk's Q1 2026 results: Wegovy pill 1.3M prescriptions, 65% of all new US GLP-1 starts, $15.17B revenue beat, guidance raised. The oral GLP-1 era arrives.
Two Camps Form on the 503B Exclusion: Patient-Safety Groups Endorse, Compounders Push Back
Patient-safety advocates and compounding industry groups stake out opposing positions on the FDA's 503B GLP-1 exclusion. The shape of the June 30 comment-period fight.
GHK-Cu Just Crossed Into Mainstream Beauty. The Evidence for Injectable Use Hasn’t Caught Up.
GHK-Cu search volume is up 1,016% year-over-year as the beauty industry pivots to copper peptides. The topical evidence is real. The injectable evidence isn't.