Mazdutide

Key points

• Mazdutide is a once weekly dual agonist, acting on the GLP-1 receptor like semaglutide and on the glucagon receptor as well.
• It is being studied for weight management, obesity and type 2 diabetes.
• In a phase 3 trial it produced average weight loss of around 14 percent over about nine months.
• It is not approved anywhere, so in the UK it would be available only within a clinical trial.

Quick facts

What it is

Experimental GLP-1 and glucagon dual agonist

Studied for

Weight loss, obesity and type 2 diabetes

Stage

Phase 3 trials (mainly China); not licensed here

UK status

Investigational; available only in clinical trials

How it works

The GLP-1 side lowers appetite and slows the stomach, the pathway used by the licensed weight loss medicines. Adding the glucagon receptor is thought to raise energy use and affect how the liver handles fat. How the two effects balance over time is still being studied.

What the evidence shows

Phase 3 trials, so far mainly in China, have reported meaningful average weight loss. What is not yet clear is how it performs in wider populations, its long term safety, and how it compares with the medicines already licensed elsewhere.

What it does not settle

• Most results so far are from trials in one country.
• Long term safety and the durability of weight loss are not established.
• Regulatory decisions outside China are still to come.

Side effects

Common

• As with other medicines acting on gut hormones, stomach effects such as nausea are expected, especially while the dose is raised.

Less common but serious

• Because it is investigational, its full safety profile is still being established in trials.
• Products sold online as mazdutide are unlicensed, and their dose and contents cannot be verified.

Report any suspected side effect through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

UK legal status and access

Mazdutide has no marketing authorisation in the UK, so it is not prescribed by registered clinics or pharmacies. The only route here would be a clinical trial. Products sold online are unlicensed and have not been through the checks that apply to a licensed medicine.

Common questions