Explainer
Evidence-led entry points for non-clinicians. What is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, what does ATC A10BX mean, why are some peptides legal in Russia but not the EU.
BMJ writers win MJA journalism awards
BMJ journalists won four 2026 MJA Awards for reporting on Mounjaro access, medical misogyny, and Trump-era health policy.
Do GLP-1 Drugs Raise Anemia Risk?
A 2026 review asks if semaglutide and tirzepatide quietly cause anemia through nutrient loss, finding a real signal but no proof of a direct cause.
GLP-1 drugs and hidradenitis suppurativa
A new review asks whether semaglutide and other GLP-1 drugs could help hidradenitis suppurativa. The evidence is early, and this is not an approved use.
Could GLP-1 drugs affect mitochondria?
A new hypothesis paper asks whether tirzepatide and other incretin drugs alter mitochondrial energy handling. It is not yet proven in humans.
Oral semaglutide 25 mg vs the injection
A Novo Nordisk funded indirect comparison put oral semaglutide 25 mg against the 2.4 mg injection. The weight-loss gap was about one percentage point.
Orforglipron liver safety: pooled data
A pooled analysis of 11,220 people across seven orforglipron phase 3 trials found no confirmed drug-induced liver injury. Here is what it checked, and did not.
What the EVOKE Alzheimer's trials found
In the EVOKE and EVOKE+ trials, oral semaglutide reduced Alzheimer's-linked biomarkers but did not slow cognitive or functional decline.
What predicts semaglutide weight loss?
A SELECT trial analysis of 7,594 patients found that baseline health measures barely predict semaglutide weight loss. Only sex and dose showed any link.
Stacking GLP-1 Drugs With Mood Peptides
Tirzepatide and retatrutide users sometimes add peptides like Semax for energy or mood. Here is what the trial evidence actually supports.
AGA MetALD Update: Where GLP-1 Drugs Stand
The AGA's new practice update addresses MetALD, a liver disease combining metabolic risk and alcohol use, and what it says about semaglutide.
CJC-1295 With DAC vs Without DAC
CJC-1295 with DAC and without DAC are chemically different molecules with different half-lives, not two doses of the same peptide.
Photos vs Self-Report: GLP-1 Accuracy
A University of Michigan study compared medication photos against self-reports for 322 GLP-1 users and found real gaps in compounded-drug reporting.