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Research Watch

What the published science says about GLP-1s and peptides

We track independent, peer-reviewed and conference-presented research on this drug class as it is published, and summarise it in plain language. Every entry links to its original source so you can read it yourself.

Featured findings

August 2026U.S. Food and Drug Administration (approval based on SURPASS-CVOT, New England Journal of Medicine)

FDA expands tirzepatide label to include cardiovascular risk reduction in type 2 diabetes

Regulatory approval based on a randomized, double-blind, active-comparator cardiovascular outcomes trial (13,000+ participants)

The FDA has approved an expanded label for tirzepatide (Mounjaro) to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events — cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack, or non-fatal stroke — in adults with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk. The approval was based on SURPASS-CVOT, which enrolled more than 13,000 adults with type 2 diabetes and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease across 640 sites in 30 countries, with median follow-up of approximately four years. Compared head-to-head against dulaglutide rather than placebo, tirzepatide met the prespecified noninferiority threshold, with events occurring in an estimated 12% of tirzepatide-treated patients versus 13% of dulaglutide-treated patients (hazard ratio 0.92; 95% CI 0.83–1.01). The 8% relative reduction did not reach statistical superiority.

CardiovascularMetabolic
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May 2026ASCO 2026

GLP-1 receptor agonists associated with 31–50% lower risk of metastatic progression in obesity-related cancers

Propensity-matched cohort (12,000+ patients)

A propensity-matched cohort study of more than 12,000 patients with stage 1–3 cancer, presented at ASCO 2026, found that starting a GLP-1 receptor agonist after diagnosis was associated with a 31–50% reduction in progression to metastatic disease across seven obesity-related cancers, including breast, lung, colorectal, and liver cancer. In non-small cell lung cancer, progression occurred in 10% of GLP-1-treated patients versus 22% of controls.

Oncology
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January 2026Aon

Aon analysis: GLP-1 users show 40%+ reduction in major adverse cardiac events and lower cancer incidence in women

Actuarial claims analysis

Aon's longitudinal analysis of self-funded employer claims found GLP-1 users experienced a more than 40% reduction in major adverse cardiac events versus matched non-users, with female users showing a 47% reduction in cardiovascular hospitalizations, approximately 50% lower incidence of ovarian cancer, and 14% lower incidence of breast cancer.

CardiovascularOncology
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November 2023NEJM

SELECT trial: semaglutide reduced major cardiovascular events by 20% in adults with obesity without diabetes

Randomized controlled trial (17,604 participants)

In the landmark SELECT trial, semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly reduced the composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal heart attack, and nonfatal stroke by 20% versus placebo in adults with established cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity, without diabetes — the first demonstration that a weight-management medication improves hard cardiovascular outcomes.

Cardiovascular
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More published research

  • June 2026Cancer Discovery (AACR)

    Tumor GLP-1 receptor expression linked to 33% lower risk of death

    Biomarker analysis

    High tumor expression of the GLP-1 receptor was associated with a 33% lower risk of death compared with low expression, and a 45% lower risk in breast cancer specifically — an early signal of the biological mechanisms now under investigation in metabo-oncology.

    Oncology
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  • May 2026ASCO 2026 coverage

    GLP-1 use associated with 30% lower incidence of breast cancer in women without prior cancer

    Observational cohort

    Observational data presented alongside the ASCO 2026 metastasis findings suggest women taking GLP-1 receptor agonists without a prior cancer diagnosis had an approximately 30% lower incidence of breast cancer, raising the possibility of a preventive effect that is now the subject of prospective study.

    Oncology
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  • July 2022NEJM

    SURMOUNT-1: tirzepatide produced up to 20.9% mean weight loss at 72 weeks

    Randomized controlled trial

    In SURMOUNT-1, adults with obesity (without diabetes) receiving weekly tirzepatide lost 15.0–20.9% of body weight at 72 weeks depending on dose, versus 3.1% with placebo — among the largest reductions recorded in a weight-management trial, with accompanying improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors.

    Metabolic
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