Overview

• A Tufts University team led by Krishna Kumar has engineered a next-generation compound that simultaneously targets GLP-1, GIP, glucagon and PYY in a single molecule.
• The “tetra-functional” design aims to average out patient response variability and delay weight regain better than existing GLP-1 treatments.
• Clinical trials of current GLP-1 drugs achieved up to 20% body-weight loss, but real-world use of semaglutide and tirzepatide yielded about 12% average loss with high discontinuation.
• Roughly 40% of patients quit GLP-1 therapy within the first month due to nausea and side effects, while costs, insurance hurdles and supply shortages further limit long-term use.
• With over 15 million U.S. adults already on injectable weight-loss medications, pharmaceutical R&D is intensifying to pursue sustained 30% reductions comparable to bariatric procedures.