Mazdutide

What is mazdutide?

Mazdutide is a synthetic peptide that acts on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucagon receptors together, administered subcutaneously once a week. ^[1] Chemically, it is a mammalian oxyntomodulin analog with a fatty acid side chain attached. The authors of the Chinese phase 2 study base the rationale for developing molecules that also target the glucagon receptor on the energy-expenditure-increasing effect of glucagon. ^[5] In this respect it belongs to the same family as semaglutide and liraglutide, which act only on the GLP-1 receptor, tirzepatide, which acts on the GIP and GLP-1 receptors, and the investigational drug retatrutide, which acts on all three receptors, but with a different combination. The general features of the class: GLP-1 agonists.

During development, the molecule was also referred to by the codes IBI362 and LY3305677. ^[5] According to a review after the approval in China, mazdutide is also being clinically investigated for fatty liver, obstructive sleep apnea and alcohol use disorder. ^[8]

Is mazdutide approved? What is its status in Türkiye?

China: In its announcement dated June 27, 2025, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) stated that it had licensed mazdutide injection solution as a “Class 1 innovative drug.” The approved indication is long-term weight control, together with diet control and increased physical activity, in adults with a baseline body mass index (BMI) of 28 kg/m² or above (obesity, in the NMPA text) or a BMI of 24 kg/m² or above (overweight) who have at least one weight-related condition such as high blood sugar, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, fatty liver or obstructive sleep apnea. ^[9] In September 2025, approval was also given in China for blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. ^[8]

United States: The FDA page on unapproved GLP-1 drugs (content updated October 1, 2026) states that it has warned companies that illegally sell unapproved drugs containing semaglutide, tirzepatide, retatrutide, survodutide or mazdutide by falsely labeling them “for research purposes” or “not for human use.” According to the FDA, these products were sold directly to consumers for human use together with dosing instructions; the agency asks consumers not to buy these products, whose quality is unknown and which may be harmful to health. ^[10]

European Union: In the version of the EMA’s human medicines dataset time-stamped October 18, 2026, there is no medicine record containing mazdutide. ^[11]

Türkiye: The Licensed Human Medicinal Products List of TİTCK (Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency) dated October 16, 2026 contains no product with mazdutide. ^[12] Two provisions in the legislation are directly relevant:

• Article 3 of Law No. 1262 on Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Preparations (İspençiyari ve Tıbbi Müstahzarlar Kanunu) requires Ministry permission before domestically produced medicinal preparations are placed on the market and before those produced abroad are imported. ^[13]
• Article 24 of Law No. 6197 on Pharmacists and Pharmacies (Eczacılar ve Eczaneler Hakkında Kanun) provides that medicines cannot be sold on the internet or in any other electronic medium. ^[14]

Being approved in another country does not mean a drug is licensed in Türkiye; the approval in China does not change this.

What did the obesity studies find?

The weight percentages in the table are mean changes from baseline. Dose groups are named “low, high.”

In GLORY-1, the proportion of participants losing at least 15% at week 48 was 35.7% with the low dose, 49.5% with the high dose and 2.0% with placebo; changes in favor of mazdutide were reported in all prespecified cardiometabolic measurements. The primary analysis was done with a “treatment policy” approach that keeps in their own group those who stopped treatment early and those who started a new obesity treatment. ^[1] In GLORY-2, the proportion with at least 5% weight loss at week 60 was 84.3% versus 33.1%; efficacy and safety analyses were done in participants who received at least one dose. ^[2]

Three limits matter when reading. First, both phase 3 studies were conducted in China and in Chinese adults. ^{[1] [2]} Second, the only published efficacy data outside China are from the 179-person US phase 2 study; the primary endpoint was evaluated with an “efficacy” approach based on the assumption of continued treatment, and doses higher than in the Chinese studies were also tested in this study. ^[6] Third, the endpoints of these studies are weight and risk markers; they were not designed to measure events such as heart attack, stroke or death.

Funding: GLORY-1 was funded by the manufacturer, and company employees were among the authors. ^[1] In GLORY-2, six authors are company employees. ^[2] The US phase 2 study was funded by the co-developer company; most of the authors are employees and shareholders of this company. ^[6]

What did the type 2 diabetes studies find?

• DREAMS-1 (Nature, 2026): 320 Chinese people with type 2 diabetes not controlled with diet and exercise alone (mean HbA1c 8.24%, diabetes duration 1.9 years) were followed for 24 weeks placebo-controlled, followed by a 24-week extension period. At week 24, HbA1c fell by 1.57 points with the low dose, 2.15 points with the high dose and 0.14 points with placebo (difference versus placebo 1.43 and 2.02 points). Weight change was −5.61% and −7.81%, and −1.26% with placebo. The most common adverse events were diarrhea, decreased appetite and nausea. ^[3]
• DREAMS-2 (Nature, 2026): 731 Chinese people with type 2 diabetes using oral diabetes drugs were randomized to mazdutide or weekly dulaglutide for 28 weeks. Both doses met both the non-inferiority and superiority criteria versus dulaglutide in HbA1c: difference −0.24 points (P=0.0032) and −0.30 points (P=0.0003). The weight difference versus dulaglutide was −3.78% and −5.76%. Gastrointestinal adverse events were more frequent with mazdutide than with dulaglutide. ^[4]

In both studies, the authors include employees of the manufacturer and researchers who consult for the company. ^{[3] [4]} Mazdutide lowering HbA1c is a blood marker; reduction of diabetes complications (eye, kidney, cardiovascular events) was not measured in these studies.

Has it been compared with semaglutide or tirzepatide?

In the published phase 3 results, the comparison groups are placebo and dulaglutide. ^{[1] [4]} The design and baseline data paper of DREAMS-3, the study directly comparing it with semaglutide, has been published: 349 Chinese adults with obesity (BMI ≥28) and type 2 diabetes were randomized open-label to mazdutide or weekly semaglutide; the primary endpoint is achieving both HbA1c below 7% and at least 10% weight loss together at week 32. The paper states that the study was expected to be completed in early 2026. ^[7] The results of a study directly comparing it with tirzepatide had not been published in a peer-reviewed journal as of October 2026. Placing the averages of different studies side by side is not a reliable comparison, because participant characteristics and duration differ.

Why is the glucagon effect monitored separately?

Because of glucagon’s heart-stimulating effect, the heart rate increase in GLP-1 and glucagon dual agonists is expected to be more pronounced than with GLP-1 agonists alone. The authors of the Chinese phase 2 obesity study emphasize this point. ^[5] In the same study, the mean heart rate increase at week 24 was 5.38–8.75 beats per minute in the mazdutide groups and 4.81 beats with placebo; the increase returned to normal in the post-treatment follow-up period. Clinically relevant cardiac disorders were reported in 15 participants (8.1%) with mazdutide and 9 participants (14.5%) with placebo; all were mild, asymptomatic and transient findings detected on ECG. The most common sinus tachycardia rate was 2.8% with mazdutide and 3.2% with placebo. ^[5] This study did not enroll people with a history of heart attack, heart failure or cardiomyopathy, people with a heart rate below 50 or above 100 beats per minute at screening, or people with significant cardiac problems such as second- or third-degree heart block; the findings therefore cannot be generalized to these groups. ^[5]

What are the side effects of mazdutide?

• Gastrointestinal complaints: They are the most common adverse events in all studies and are mostly mild to moderate in severity. ^[1] In GLORY-2, vomiting was reported in 53.1% in the mazdutide group versus 1.3% with placebo; nausea 46.9% versus 3.2%; diarrhea 39.4% versus 6.5%. ^[2]
• Discontinuation: Discontinuation due to adverse events was 1.5% with the low dose, 0.5% with the high dose and 1.0% with placebo in GLORY-1 ^[1]; 2.9% versus 0% in GLORY-2. ^[2] In the US phase 2 study, this rate rose to 20% in the highest dose arm and was mostly due to gastrointestinal disorders. ^[6]
• Low blood sugar: In DREAMS-1, the most common adverse events were diarrhea, decreased appetite and nausea; the published summary gives no hypoglycemia rate. ^[3]
• Heart rate: Summarized in the section above. ^[5]

GLP-1 class warnings such as thyroid C-cell tumor, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease and aspiration under anesthesia appear on the labels of licensed drugs; there is no product information approved by a regulator outside China for mazdutide. For class warnings: GLP-1 agonists.

Why is mazdutide sold online risky?

The FDA states that it has warned companies selling unapproved GLP-1 products, including mazdutide, to consumers with dosing instructions under a “for research purposes” label, that the quality of these products is unknown, and that they may be harmful to health. ^[10] In Türkiye, the import and marketing of an unlicensed drug depend on Ministry permission; selling medicines online is prohibited by law. ^{[13] [14]} The safety findings in the studies were obtained in adults selected by entry criteria, with a product of known content, and under physician monitoring; they cannot be transferred to a product whose content and sterility are unknown. ^[2]

Evidence table: claim, population and limits

Limits of this guide

This page summarizes the published peer-reviewed studies on mazdutide and the statements of regulatory bodies. It contains no dose, administration, storage or sourcing information and recommends use under no circumstances. Dose groups in the studies are referred to only as low and high. For most of the phase 3 papers, only published abstracts were used; the subgroup and safety tables in the full texts may contain more detailed information than the summary numbers on this page. The decision on treating obesity and type 2 diabetes in adults is made through individual clinical evaluation among licensed options.