As GLP-1 pills for weight loss enter the U.S. market, some pharmaceutical companies are testing the possibility of a gene therapy to stimulate GLP-1 production, The Washington Post reported Jan. 24.
GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and Zepbound, mimic a naturally occurring gut hormone to suppress appetite, promote a feeling of fullness, stimulate the pancreas to release insulin and other metabolic processes.
Currently, the FDA has approved two administration routes for GLP-1 medications: weekly or daily injectables and daily oral pills. In a few years, a single infusion could be the leading option.
Harith Rajagopalan, MD, PhD, CEO and cofounder of Fractyl Health, told the Post his company is developing a gene therapy to prompt the human body to naturally produce more of the GLP-1 hormone for years.
Dr. Rajagopalan said Fractyl Health, a Burlington, Mass.-based biotech firm, plans to initiate a human clinical trial this year.
Other companies are researching and developing experimental GLP-1 gene therapies, including Pasadena, Calif.-based Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals and Cambridge, Mass.-based Wave Life Sciences.
Although these medications are in the early stages of clinical research, the potential future availability of a GLP-1 gene therapy could send a ripple effect across insurance plans — which have increasingly dropped coverage for these popular, yet costly, drugs.
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