GLP-1's Weekly Pills Pens and Progress 7
Posted on August 28, 2026 by
It's nearly here!
Pretty soon, we will have Foundayo in stock at the Bodyline Clinic. This pill from Eli Lilly is predicted to be enormous in the UK, as it has fewer restrictions than the current Wegovy pill, putting Eli Lilly in direct competition with Novo Nordisk in the race for the top spot as the leader in weight loss options globally.
As you know, the world of GLP-1s is always expanding, and it is easy to overlook what is happening behind the scenes. So, here, we've looked internationally at what is happening to give you a quick summary of everything from cancer prevention to new, more personalised approaches. Have a peek at GLP-1 Weekly, Pills, Pens and Progress 7 from our team at the Bodyline Clinic.
Targeted Weight Loss Medications?
We all know about the side effects of GLP-1 medications. Most people get an upset tummy, some get headaches. But what if these medications could have fewer side effects and help you lose weight?
A Phase 2 trial from Yale, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is exploring how to edit the next generation of GLP-1 treatments — all to make them more tolerable, preserve muscle mass, and provide a more personalised weight loss treatment based on the person's biology.
This study looked at Retatrutide. Rather than simply giving it to the 338 participants who were obese, the researchers added something rather surprising to the mix. The medication designed to target GLP-1 and GIP was also edited to target glucagon. This was noted to increase energy and reduce fat stored in the liver. At the highest dose (12mg) over 48 weeks, 83% of participants lost at least 15% of their body weight, compared with just 2% receiving placebo.
Researchers at Yale have also been looking into amylin. This is a hormone that is released alongside insulin and controls appetite, blood sugar and the speed at which stomach emptying occurs. The difference between this and GLP-1s is that it seems to be more tolerable, with fewer gastrointestinal side effects. Early Phase 1 trials into this have found that the amylin treatments have created around 15% weight loss. Its impact on bone health is still being investigated.
So, pretty soon, we may have treatments similar to GLP-1s that don't come with an upset tummy and help to reduce fat in the liver too.
Retatrutide paper: https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2301972
Cancer Risk Reduction, Semaglutide and Tirzepatide
The treatment areas for GLP-1s may be expanding even further than managing blood sugar and secondary effects of excess weight. The American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conducted a study published earlier in 2026. The focus was on women aged between 45 and 80 who were obese. It concluded that of the 110,000 women, those who were taking GLP-1s had a 30% lower risk of developing breast cancer, compared to those who weren't taking the medication.
A similar study, also from 2026, published in the ESMO Annals of Oncology journal, looked at 230,000 people and found that those who were taking GLP-1s for weight loss had a 41% lower risk of obesity-linked cancers than those who were advised to diet and exercise to lose weight.
Of the two studies, only the latter has announced the GLP-1s it examined, which were semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound). Those taking semaglutide-based GLP-1s had a notably larger reduction in risk, but this is thought to be due to the secondary effect of this medication on inflammation.
As always, this does not mean that GLP-1s are a treatment or preventative for cancer. The research in this area may highlight links in the future, but for now, this is very early data.
ASCO paper: Association of GLP-1 agonists with breast cancer incidence in women
ESMO paper: GLP-1 receptor agonist use and cancer risk in obese nondiabetic adults
Semaglutide and Heart Health: More Intertwined than We Thought?
The link between chronic inflammation and heart health is well known. If you have chronic inflammation, you are at a higher risk of atherosclerosis — the accumulation of fatty plaques inside arteries. If you also have higher hsCRP levels, then it has been noted that you may have a greater risk of cardiovascular issues.
A study from 2026 looked at 17,604 adults who were overweight or obese. They had established cardiovascular issues but were not diagnosed with diabetes. They were put on semaglutide (2.4mg) and, over 104 weeks, they had a reduction in hsCRP of 37.8% compared to the placebo group.
What's more interesting is that these changes occurred before they had lost substantial weight. This highlights that weight loss (or excess weight) is not as linked to inflammation as once thought.
See the original paper here: Semaglutide's heart benefits may partly involve reduced inflammation
Remember, when it comes to the real-world application of GLP-1s, you need a team who can offer help, insight, and often more than a prescription. Our team at the Bodyline Clinic offer specialised care and have 18 years of expertise helping people to lose weight using weight loss medications. So, if you want to lose weight with a team who offers more than just a script, contact us today.
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