What it is: A weekly injectable dual agonist that simultaneously activates both GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, adding a direct energy expenditure and liver fat reduction mechanism.
Research suggests: Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials in China show substantial weight loss and significant reductions in liver fat, including in MASLD (metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease).
Best for: Obesity and metabolic liver disease researchers
Key thing to know: Not yet approved outside China; the glucagon receptor component specifically targets liver fat and energy expenditure in ways that pure GLP-1 agents cannot.
What is Mazdutide?
Mazdutide (also referred to by the development code IBI362) is a weekly injectable peptide developed by Innovent Biologics. It acts simultaneously on two hormone receptors: the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor and the glucagon receptor. This dual mechanism separates it from semaglutide and liraglutide, which act only on GLP-1 receptors.
The GLP-1 component promotes insulin secretion, reduces appetite, and slows gastric emptying. The glucagon receptor component increases energy expenditure and promotes fat oxidation in the liver. In research, this combination is designed to produce greater weight loss and stronger effects on liver fat content than GLP-1-only compounds at comparable doses.
Researchers study Mazdutide for obesity and overweight, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), metabolic dysfunction, and lipid abnormalities. Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials have been conducted primarily in China, where it has progressed the furthest toward regulatory review.
How it works.
Mazdutide binds both the GLP-1 receptor and the glucagon receptor. GLP-1 receptor activation stimulates glucose-dependent insulin release, suppresses glucagon secretion after meals, slows gastric emptying (increasing satiety), and signals the hypothalamus to reduce food intake. These effects are well established in GLP-1 receptor agonist research.
The glucagon receptor component adds effects that GLP-1-only compounds do not provide. Glucagon receptor activation increases hepatic fat oxidation, raises basal metabolic rate, and promotes thermogenesis. In the liver specifically, this may reduce hepatic steatosis more effectively than GLP-1 activation alone, which is why researchers are studying Mazdutide for NASH.
The tradeoff of adding glucagon receptor activity is that glucagon also raises blood glucose. Researchers and compound designers have to balance the dose of each component so that the metabolic and appetite benefits outweigh any hyperglycemic effect from glucagon stimulation. This is the core engineering challenge of dual GLP-1/glucagon agonists as a class.
What the research shows.
Mazdutide has Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trial data from Chinese study populations in both obesity and type 2 diabetes. Published Phase 2 results demonstrated meaningful weight reduction and improvements in glycemic markers compared to placebo. The GLORY-1 and related Phase 3 trials produced data that supported a regulatory submission in China.
However, the evidence base is not yet at the level of semaglutide or tirzepatide, which have large multi-national trial programs, published outcomes data, and FDA or EMA regulatory approval. Most published Mazdutide data comes from one company and one geographic population. Long-term cardiovascular outcomes data, which has become a key criterion for regulatory approval in this drug class, is not yet available.
The evidence is sufficient to warrant serious research attention and places Mazdutide clearly ahead of early-stage compounds, but the multi-national replication and regulatory approval that define the strongest evidence tier are not yet present.
Biomarkers to review first.
Research protocols for Mazdutide and related dual-agonist compounds typically reference the following biomarkers as essential baseline context. These establish metabolic health starting points and help a clinician evaluate any changes over a research period.
What it's commonly researched with.
Mazdutide is primarily studied as a standalone compound in clinical trials. The compounds below appear in comparison studies or are investigated alongside Mazdutide in metabolic research contexts. These represent what researchers have examined, not protocol recommendations.