And Now for a Brief History Lesson on GLP-1

Once upon a time, a team of Danish researchers discovered that the compound called Liraglutide, a daily subcutaneous—or injectible—diabetes medication, could be modified into what they called GLP-1, only requiring a once-weekly dosing. What started as a humble diabetic symptom management operation was soon to change the lives of those suffering from obesity, diabetes, and other metabolism-related issues globally.

The use of subcutaneous injections to treat symptoms of diabetes has been used since 1922, when the first insulin injection was administered to save the life of then-14-year-old Leonard Thompson. A lot has happened in the last century regarding diabetes medications and their uses, and significant technological strides have been made to serve more than just the diabetic population.

Medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy are among the largest manufacturers of diabetes medication. These medications mimic hormones the human metabolic system already produces to treat Type 2 diabetes. Since the researchers at Novo Nordisk developed the GLP-1 variation on the family of diabetes medications in 2012, it has been used to treat difficulties associated with diabetes. 

But the doctors, scientists, and diabetics using, prescribing, and testing noted a curious side effect of the medication. You got it, folks: weight loss.

Doctors prescribing GLP-1s found that the medication works by increasing the frequency of a specific peptide available in the body. These peptides—hormone-like agents, also known as GLP-1 or glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists—bind to receptors that signal satiety and mimic the effects of GLP-1. This ultimately causes the body to increase insulin and decrease blood sugar. The entire process works to curb appetite and cravings effectively.