The Phase 3 clinical study (GLORY-1) of Mazdutide (IBI362), a novel GLP-1 dual receptor agonist for weight management in Chinese overweight/obese subjects, has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). This marks the first global publication of clinical research for a glucagon (GCG)/glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) dual receptor agonist weight-loss drug in this prestigious medical journal.
What makes this study particularly noteworthy is that Mazdutide isn't the first dual-target GLP-1 agonist to undergo clinical trials. The distinction of GLORY-1 being published in NEJM stems from its innovative GCG/GLP-1 dual-target mechanism and comprehensive clinical validation, especially regarding its effects on reducing fatty liver - a significant health concern in China's obese population.
The GLORY-1 trial enrolled 610 participants, demonstrating significant weight reduction across all Mazdutide dosage groups compared to placebo. At week 32, 73.9% (4mg) and 82.0% (6mg) of Mazdutide-treated subjects achieved ≥5% weight loss versus 10.5% with placebo. By week 48, 35.7% (4mg) and 49.5% (6mg) achieved ≥15% weight reduction compared to just 2.0% in the placebo group.
Beyond weight loss, Mazdutide showed significant improvements in cardiovascular metabolic markers including blood pressure, blood lipids (triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-C), serum uric acid, and liver enzyme levels. The drug particularly demonstrated effectiveness in reducing liver fat content in patients with fatty liver disease.
Clinical experts note that the study population - relatively younger with lower BMI but higher prevalence of fatty liver and lipid metabolism disorders - better reflects the actual condition of obese patients in China compared to Western clinical trials. This suggests the need for comprehensive metabolic evaluation beyond BMI alone in obesity diagnosis and treatment.
Mazdutide represents China's progress in innovative metabolic drug development. Originally developed by Eli Lilly, the drug's Chinese development and commercialization rights were acquired through strategic partnership. Its anticipated 2025 launch in China may create competition with Lilly's own dual-agonist Tirzepatide, recently approved for weight management in China.
The publication in NEJM validates the scientific rigor of China-conducted clinical research and highlights the growing importance of metabolic-targeted therapies in obesity treatment. As the global obesity epidemic continues, dual-target approaches like GCG/GLP-1 agonists may offer improved outcomes by addressing multiple metabolic pathways simultaneously.
Future research directions include longer-term safety evaluation, comparative effectiveness studies against existing GLP-1 medications, and investigation of Mazdutide's potential benefits in obesity-related comorbidities beyond what was demonstrated in the GLORY-1 trial.