Translations:GLP-1 receptor agonist/18/en

Drug delivery

Native GLP-1 is a peptide hormone with a half-life of 2 minutes because it is rapidly cleared by the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-4. As a result, different GLP-1 agonist drugs are modified in various ways to extend the half-life, resulting in drugs that can be dosed multiple times per day, daily, weekly, or even less often. Most synthetic GLP-1 agonists are delivered via subcutaneous injection, which is a barrier to their use and reason for discontinuation. Self-injected drugs are especially difficult for people with vision or motor difficulties, which are common in people with type 2 diabetes. Attempts to develop an orally bioavailable GLP-1 agonist, either a modified peptide, as in the case of oral semaglutide, or a small molecule drug have produced additional drug candidates. Other companies have tested inhaled or transdermal administration.