GLP-1 Weekly Pills, Pens, and Progress Issue 2
Posted on July 27, 2026 by Sally-Anne Turner
It has been an enormous month in the UK for all things GLP-1 related.
Estimates from globalhealthcaremagazine.com suggest that 120,000 to 130,000 patients may begin treatment within the first three months of the Wegovy pill launch, with Novo Nordisk writing over 600,000 new prescriptions for this pill. Also, with the Eli Lilly pill coming in autumn, the new way to lose weight medically seems to be moving to the pill from the needles.
GLP-1s continue to make strides in other areas too, with research seeming to expand the potential of these medications. So, welcome to the second edition of GLP-1 Weekly: Pills, Pens and Progress from the Bodyline Clinic, where we take a look at the newest insights in the world of weight loss medication.
GLP-1 for Patients with Fatty Liver Disease
We all know about semaglutide and how it can help people lose weight.
Now, there is a new international trial that has found that this medication, which is prescribed to help people with diabetes and obesity, can also help those who have advanced metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). In short, it improves liver scarring.
This study is the first of its kind to highlight that a GLP-1 medication may be able to improve fibrosis in people who have early-stage cirrhosis. This highlights new treatment options for a disease that, at the time of writing, has very few treatment options. MASH is one of the more advanced forms of fatty liver. It occurs when excess fat builds up in the liver and causes inflammation, scarring (fibrosis) and in more advanced stages, it can lead to cirrhosis or liver failure.
The researchers at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) School of Medicine looked at semaglutide in this trial and found that those who received the medication (2.4 mg injections weekly) were more likely to experience improvements in underlying liver fibrosis compared to those who were given a placebo.
Both obesity and type 2 diabetes are major risk factors for MASH; any medication that addresses both metabolic health and weight could change how this form of liver disease is managed. These findings suggest that semaglutide has benefits that extend beyond weight loss.
Yes, the results are encouraging. However, the researchers have noted that more long-term studies are needed to assess whether these improvements reduce the risk of liver failure, transplants or even death due to this medical condition.
See the full article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468125326001238
New Study Shows Popular GLP-1 Weight Loss Drug May Slow Biological Ageing
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine have found that semaglutide can also help to slow down biological ageing.
The study looked at epigenetic clocks, which measure biological age based on changes in DNA that are linked with ageing and disease risk. This research was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, where the participants who received semaglutide showed a slowing of biological ageing across the epigenetic measures more than those who received the placebo.
The greatest improvements were noted to be:
- Markers linked to inflammation
- Cardiovascular health
- Liver health
- Kidney health
- Metabolism
- Brain health
So, this suggests that this medication impacts multiple systems throughout the body.
However, we know that semaglutide is known to reduce inflammation, improve blood sugar and enhance metabolic health. All of these are linked to healthier ageing, but the researchers have stated that their findings do not prove that the drug slows the ageing process itself.
Instead, we must be cautious and are advised to see their results as early clinical evidence that the GLP-1 receptor agonists used in products like Wegovy may influence ageing. As before, more studies are needed to draw conclusions relating to healthy ageing or the prevention of age-related illnesses. In that vein, check out our news piece from last week, which noted another study looking at the link between Alzheimer's prevention and GLP-1s.
See the full article here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-72861-3
New Fortnightly GLP-1 Shot Improves Blood Sugar and Weight Loss
Injectable GLP-1s like Wegovy and Ozempic need to be administered once a week. But what if there was an option to have an injection once every two weeks?
There is a new experimental GLP-1 medication called bofanglutide. It has shown interesting and promising results in a Phase 2b clinical trial. As it is injected every 14 days, it could make treatment more convenient for those with type 2 diabetes. Like all of the GLP-1 receptor agonists, bofanglutide mimics the body's GLP-1 hormone. This regulates blood sugar, slows gastric emptying and reduces appetite.
The trial is being conducted in collaboration with Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals at Peking University People's Hospital (Peking University Diabetes Centre) in Beijing, China. It has found that participants who received the fortnightly injections had significant improvements in their blood glucose control for those who were prediabetic and overweight. They also had reductions in body weight. The researchers also noted that those who took part had improvements in a range of cardiometabolic risk factors.
However, this medication remains in development and large Phase 3 studies will be needed.
It's important not to get ahead here. Future studies will need to confirm the findings and, if they do, bofanglutide may become another member of the GLP-1 market. A great addition that could help people with type 2 diabetes have greater flexibility.
See the study here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-026-02586-8
As we said last week, our team at the Bodyline Clinic are always happy to see this area advancing. Why? It means we will be able to help more people to reach their weight loss goals with as few inconveniences as possible. If you want to know more about what we do as a clinic, contact us here for more information.
