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AMIRAVOResearch Library

Pemvidutide vs survodutide

Pemvidutide and survodutide are both investigational once-weekly peptides that activate the GLP-1 receptor and the glucagon receptor 1,2. Pemvidutide's published human trials focus on fatty liver disease (MASLD and MASH), while survodutide has completed phase 3 trials in obesity, type 2 diabetes with obesity and MASLD 1,2,3,4,5. Neither had a Drugs@FDA application record on 24 October 2026 6,7, and no head-to-head trial was identified 8.

Unbranded reference vial illustrating Pemvidutide; not an actual product
Pemvidutide
Investigational
Unbranded reference vial illustrating Survodutide; not an actual product
Survodutide
Investigational

Side by side

FieldPemvidutideSurvodutide
ClassDual GLP-1 receptor and glucagon receptor agonist (investigational) 1Dual glucagon receptor and GLP-1 receptor agonist (investigational) 2
Origin and structureStabilized peptide with sequence elements of GLP-1 and glucagon, coupled to a glycolipid surfactant moiety that binds serum albumin; described as evenly balanced (1:1) at the two receptors 9Acylated peptide carrying a C18 fatty acid as a half-life-extending element 10
Proposed mechanismGlucagon-receptor agonism is described as acting directly on the liver to raise fatty-acid oxidation and reduce lipogenesis, alongside GLP-1 effects on appetite 1In mice, reduced food intake and increased energy expenditure, with engagement of both receptors 10
Half-lifeNo human half-life located; in mice, a mean residence time of 22 hours vs 16 hours for semaglutide (animal data) 9Not located in the sources reviewed
Highest human trial phasePhase 3 in MASH registered and recruiting (PERFORMA) 11; phase 2b published 3Phase 3 (SYNCHRONIZE-1, SYNCHRONIZE-2, SYNCHRONIZE-MASLD published) 2,4,5
FDA statusNot approved; no Drugs@FDA application record as of 24 October 2026 6Not approved; no Drugs@FDA application record as of 24 October 2026 7
Published human outcomesIMPACT (212 people with F2 to F3 MASH): MASH resolution in 52% to 58% vs 20% with placebo at 24 weeks; the fibrosis-improvement primary endpoint was not met 3; 12-week MASLD trial: liver-fat reductions of 46.6% to 68.5% vs 4.4% 1SYNCHRONIZE-1: -12.2% and -13.0% vs -5.4% body weight at 76 weeks 2; SYNCHRONIZE-MASLD: 84.2% vs 24.3% had at least a 30% fall in liver fat 5; phase 2 MASH: improvement without fibrosis worsening in 43% to 62% vs 14% 12
Safety signalsAdverse events in 78% to 81% vs 67% with placebo in IMPACT, mostly mild or moderate; discontinuation due to adverse events 0% to 1% 3Gastrointestinal events in 80.9% and 89.7% vs 47.9% with placebo in SYNCHRONIZE-1 2; nausea 66% vs 23% in phase 2 MASH 12
WADA statusNot named on the 2026 Prohibited List; class S0 covers drugs under clinical development with no current approval by any governmental health authority 13Not named on the 2026 Prohibited List; same S0 provision applies 13
Who funded the evidenceAltimmune 3,11Boehringer Ingelheim 2,12

Pemvidutide: what the data says

Pemvidutide (formerly ALT-801) is developed by Altimmune, mainly for liver disease 3,9.

  • In a 12-week trial in 94 people with MASLD (human data), relative liver-fat reductions were 46.6% to 68.5% vs 4.4% with placebo; the largest mean body-weight change was -4.3% 1.
  • In a 12-week extension to 24 weeks (64 participants; human data), liver-fat reductions reached 56.3% to 76.4% vs 14.0% 14.
  • In the IMPACT phase 2b trial (human data), MASH resolution without fibrosis worsening occurred in 58% and 52% of the two pemvidutide groups vs 20% with placebo, while fibrosis improvement did not differ significantly from placebo at 24 weeks 3.
  • In a diet-induced obese mouse model of NASH (animal data), pemvidutide reduced body weight by about 25% and liver lipids more than semaglutide 9.

Survodutide: what the data says

Survodutide is developed by Boehringer Ingelheim for obesity and liver disease 2,12.

  • In SYNCHRONIZE-1 (725 adults; human data), body-weight change at 76 weeks was -12.2% and -13.0% vs -5.4% with placebo 2.
  • In SYNCHRONIZE-MASLD (216 adults; human data), 84.2% vs 24.3% achieved at least a 30% fall in liver fat at 48 weeks (efficacy estimand) 5.
  • In a 48-week phase 2 MASH trial (293 participants; human data), fibrosis improved by at least one stage in 34% to 36% vs 22% with placebo 12.

Key research differences

  • Development focus: pemvidutide's published trials are in MASLD and MASH, whereas survodutide also has completed phase 3 obesity and type 2 diabetes trials 1,2,3,4.
  • Stage: survodutide has published phase 3 results; pemvidutide's phase 3 MASH trial was recruiting in 2026 2,11.
  • Half-life technology: pemvidutide uses a glycolipid surfactant conjugate, survodutide a C18 fatty acid 9,10.
  • Fibrosis results: in its 24-week phase 2b, pemvidutide did not meet the fibrosis-improvement endpoint, whereas survodutide's 48-week phase 2 reported fibrosis improvement in 34% to 36% vs 22% 3,12.
  • Developers: Altimmune funds pemvidutide trials and Boehringer Ingelheim funds survodutide trials 2,3.

Where the evidence is limited

No trial comparing pemvidutide and survodutide was identified 8. The liver trials differ in length (24 vs 48 weeks), inclusion criteria and endpoints, and pemvidutide's IMPACT results are interim 24-week data from a 48-week trial 3,12. Body-weight data for pemvidutide come from short liver-fat trials rather than obesity trials 1. Each programme is funded by its developer 2,3.

Frequently asked questions

Are pemvidutide and survodutide the same kind of drug?
Both are dual GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonists, but they are different molecules with different half-life-extending chemistry 9,10.
Which is further along in development?
Survodutide has published phase 3 results 2,5. Pemvidutide's phase 3 trial in MASH was recruiting as of its latest registry update 11. Neither is FDA-approved 6,7.
Can pemvidutide and survodutide be compared directly?
Not from current evidence. No head-to-head trial exists, and their liver trials used different durations and endpoints 3,8,12.

References

  1. Effect of pemvidutide, a GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist, on MASLD: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study J Hepatol. 2025
  2. Survodutide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Adults with Obesity (SYNCHRONIZE-1) N Engl J Med. 2026
  3. Safety and efficacy of weekly pemvidutide versus placebo for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (IMPACT): 24-week results from a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, phase 2b study Lancet. 2025
  4. Survodutide Once Weekly in Adults with Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes (SYNCHRONIZE-2) N Engl J Med. 2026
  5. Survodutide in adults with obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: SYNCHRONIZE-MASLD, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial Nat Med. 2026
  6. Drugs@FDA application data queried through openFDA for pemvidutide (no matching application record returned on 24 October 2026) openFDA / Drugs@FDA. 2026
  7. Drugs@FDA application data queried through openFDA for survodutide (no matching application record returned on 24 October 2026) openFDA / Drugs@FDA. 2026
  8. ClinicalTrials.gov registry search for survodutide as intervention (29 records, 12 phase 3; retrieved 24 October 2026) ClinicalTrials.gov. 2026
  9. Effects of ALT-801, a GLP-1 and glucagon receptor dual agonist, in a translational mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (full text) Sci Rep. 2022
  10. BI 456906: Discovery and preclinical pharmacology of a novel GCGR/GLP-1R dual agonist with robust anti-obesity efficacy Mol Metab. 2022
  11. PERFORMA: Phase 3 Study of the Efficacy, Safety, and Clinical Outcomes of Pemvidutide in MASH (NCT07795164), registry record ClinicalTrials.gov. 2026
  12. A Phase 2 Randomized Trial of Survodutide in MASH and Fibrosis N Engl J Med. 2024
  13. The 2026 Prohibited List - World Anti-Doping Code, as published in the Netherlands Treaty Series (Tractatenblad 2026, 25; Council of Europe Anti-Doping Convention appendix, in force 1 January 2026) Tractatenblad (Official Publications of the Kingdom of the Netherlands). 2026
  14. Safety and efficacy of 24 weeks of pemvidutide in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: A randomized, controlled clinical trial JHEP Rep. 2025

For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. Not a drug, food, or dietary supplement. This page compares published research and is not medical advice or a recommendation.