Appetite & body weight
This hub covers compounds researched for effects on food intake, appetite signalling and body weight. Unlike most areas of the library, many entries here have large randomized human trials, while a smaller group has been studied only in rodents.
Approved or human trial evidence
SemaglutideHuman trial evidence · FDA-approvedStudied in large randomized placebo-controlled human trials, including STEP 1 in adults with overweight or obesity without diabetes, with body-weight change as the primary measure.
LiraglutideHuman trial evidence · FDA-approvedStudied in humans in the 56-week randomized SCALE Obesity and Prediabetes trial of 3,731 adults without diabetes, comparing body-weight change with placebo.
TirzepatideHuman trial evidence · FDA-approvedDual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist studied in humans in the 72-week SURMOUNT-1 randomized trial of adults with obesity without diabetes, versus placebo.
MazdutideHuman trial evidence · Approved outside the USDual GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist studied in phase 3 randomized trials in Chinese adults (GLORY-1 and GLORY-2) measuring body-weight change versus placebo.
RetatrutideHuman trial evidence · InvestigationalTriple GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist studied in phase 2 and phase 3 randomized human trials, including TRIUMPH-1, measuring body-weight change in adults with obesity.
CagrilintideHuman trial evidence · InvestigationalLong-acting amylin analogue studied alone in a 26-week phase 2 trial of 706 adults with overweight or obesity, and with semaglutide in phase 3 REDEFINE trials.
AmycretinHuman trial evidence · InvestigationalSingle molecule acting on GLP-1 and amylin receptors, studied in obese rats and in a phase 1b/2a human trial of body-weight change in people with overweight or obesity.
EloralintideHuman trial evidence · InvestigationalSelective amylin receptor agonist studied in diet-induced obese rats and in a 48-week phase 2 placebo-controlled trial of 263 adults with obesity or overweight.
SurvodutideHuman trial evidence · InvestigationalDual glucagon and GLP-1 receptor agonist studied in obese mice and in 76-week phase 3 SYNCHRONIZE trials of adults with obesity, with and without type 2 diabetes.
VK2735Human trial evidence · InvestigationalDual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist studied in humans in the 13-week, sponsor-funded phase 2 VENTURE trial of 176 adults with obesity or overweight.
PemvidutideHuman trial evidence · InvestigationalDual GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist studied in humans mainly for liver fat, with body weight also measured; an obesity trial (MOMENTUM) is registered.
OrforglipronHuman trial evidence · FDA-approvedOral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, FDA-approved in 2026 for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with a weight-related condition.
SetmelanotideHuman trial evidence · FDA-approvedMC4R agonist FDA-approved for obesity caused by specific genetic MC4R-pathway disorders, not for general obesity.
EcnoglutideHuman trial evidence · Approved outside the USGLP-1 receptor agonist approved in China in 2026 for long-term weight management; not approved in the United States.
MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide)Human trial evidence · InvestigationalInvestigational antibody-peptide conjugate; a 52-week phase 2 trial measured body-weight change, with phase 3 trials under way.
Limited human data
GHRP-2Limited human data · Approved outside the USIn saline- or placebo-controlled infusion studies in healthy lean and obese volunteers, GHRP-2 was associated with increased food intake as well as raised growth hormone.
TesofensineLimited human data · InvestigationalA small molecule, not a peptide, studied in a 24-week phase 2 trial in adults with obesity; The Lancet later published an expression of concern about that report.
Melanotan IILimited human data · Not approved — research use onlyIn mice, melanotan II given into the brain inhibited feeding in several hyperphagia models, work used to implicate MC3R and MC4R signalling in appetite control.
Animal and laboratory research
AOD-9604Preclinical research · Not approved — research use onlyGrowth hormone fragment analogue studied in obese mice and obese Zucker rats for body weight and body fat; no controlled human efficacy trial was identified.
5-Amino-1MQPreclinical research · Not approved — research use onlyA small-molecule NNMT inhibitor, not a peptide, studied in diet-induced obese mice for body weight and fat mass gain; no human study was identified.
MOTS-cPreclinical research · Not approved — research use onlyMitochondrial-derived peptide reported to prevent diet-induced obesity in mice; human data are measurements of the body's own peptide, not administration.
SLU-PP-332Preclinical research · Not approved — research use onlyA small-molecule ERR agonist, not a peptide, studied in diet-induced obese and ob/ob mice for energy expenditure and fat mass; no human study was identified.
AdipotidePreclinical research · Not approved — research use onlyStudied in primates, where it reduced fat mass but caused reversible kidney tubule changes; its only human trial was terminated with no results posted.
Comparisons in this area
Guides
Questions people ask
Which peptides have the largest human trials for body weight?
Among library compounds, semaglutide (STEP 1, 1,961 adults), liraglutide (SCALE, 3,731 adults), tirzepatide (SURMOUNT-1, 2,539 adults) and retatrutide (TRIUMPH-1, 2,339 adults) have large randomized placebo-controlled trials. Cagrilintide was tested with semaglutide in REDEFINE 1, which enrolled 3,417 adults without diabetes.
Has AOD-9604 been tested in humans for fat reduction?
No peer-reviewed controlled human efficacy trial of AOD-9604 was identified for its library entry. Its body-weight and body-fat findings come from obese mice and obese Zucker rats, and FDA has reported limited information on its risks along with serious adverse events of unclear causality.
How do amylin analogues differ from GLP-1 drugs in this research?
Amylin analogues such as cagrilintide and eloralintide act on amylin receptors, formed when the calcitonin receptor pairs with a receptor activity-modifying protein, rather than on the GLP-1 receptor. Eloralintide prefers the AMY1 receptor, cagrilintide is non-selective, and amycretin combines GLP-1 and amylin receptor activity in one molecule.
For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. Not a drug, food, or dietary supplement. Listing a compound under a research goal describes published research in the stated model. It is not a claim that the compound works, and it is not medical advice.