Medicating Appetite: The GLP-1 Dilemma
At first, they were diabetes drugs.
GLP-1 receptor agonists—liraglutide, semaglutide, and later tirzepatide—were developed to help patients with type 2 diabetes regulate blood sugar. They mimicked a gut hormone, GLP-1, that modulates insulin, glucagon, and gastric emptying. They also acted on the brain.
Appetite went down.
Weight came off.
And people noticed.