Mazdutide: What the Research Says About the GLP-1/Glucagon Dual Agonist
Mazdutide (development code IBI362, also known as LY3305677) is a once-weekly GLP-1 and glucagon receptor dual agonist that has become one of the most closely watched metabolic research peptides of 2025 and 2026. Unlike single-target GLP-1 agonists, mazdutide engages two receptors at once, and the recent wave of Phase 3 data out of China has put it firmly on the radar of researchers tracking the dual-agonist class. This overview summarizes what the literature reports about its structure, mechanism, and trial findings, written strictly for an educational, research-use context.
What Mazdutide Is
Mazdutide is a synthetic peptide engineered to activate both the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor and the glucagon receptor. It is built on a mammalian oxyntomodulin scaffold, the naturally occurring gut hormone that itself signals through both of those receptors. Lipidation (a fatty-acid chain attached to the peptide backbone) extends its circulating half-life, which is why it is studied as a once-weekly compound.
It sits in the same broad family as other GLP-1 research peptides but is mechanistically distinct from pure GLP-1 agonists. For a wider view of how single, dual, and triple agonists differ, see our guide to single, dual and triple agonists.
How the Dual-Agonist Mechanism Works
The GLP-1 receptor arm is associated in the literature with slowed gastric emptying, increased satiety signaling, and glucose-dependent insulin response. The glucagon receptor arm is the feature that separates mazdutide from GLP-1-only compounds: glucagon receptor activation is reported to increase energy expenditure and influence hepatic fat metabolism.
The research rationale for combining the two is that the glucagon component may add a metabolic-rate effect on top of the appetite-signaling effect of GLP-1. This is the same conceptual approach behind survodutide, another dual GLP-1/glucagon agonist studied in parallel.
What the Phase 3 Research Reports
In 2025, Innovent reported Phase 3 results for mazdutide in Chinese adult populations. In the GLORY-1 obesity program, mean weight reduction reported in the literature reached roughly 12–14% at the higher doses over the trial window, with a substantial share of participants reaching the 15%-or-greater threshold by week 48.
The head-to-head DREAMS-3 trial compared mazdutide against semaglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes. As reported, the change in HbA1c from baseline was approximately −2.0% with mazdutide versus −1.8% with semaglutide at week 32, with a greater mean percentage weight reduction in the mazdutide group. Two Phase 3 type 2 diabetes results were subsequently published back-to-back in Nature. These figures are presented as reported in the trials and are not a basis for any personal use.
Mazdutide Compared With Other Metabolic Peptides
Researchers often place mazdutide alongside the other metabolic compounds in this category. Pure GLP-1 agonists such as semaglutide target one receptor; dual GIP/GLP-1 agonists such as tirzepatide target a different second receptor; and triple agonists such as retatrutide add glucagon to the GIP/GLP-1 combination. For a side-by-side framing, see our comparison of retatrutide vs tirzepatide vs semaglutide. The amylin analog cagrilintide is studied as a complementary mechanism in the same metabolic research space.
Reported Tolerability Notes
Across the trials, gastrointestinal effects were the most commonly reported observations and were described as mostly mild to moderate, concentrated during the dose-escalation phase. Metabolic markers reported alongside weight outcomes included changes in systolic blood pressure, lipid measures, fasting glucose, and liver-fat content. These are study observations, reported here for educational context only.
Handling and Storage
Where mazdutide-class peptides are supplied as a lyophilized powder for laboratory work, they are typically reconstituted with bacteriostatic water following standard sterile technique. For the general procedure, see our step-by-step reconstitution guide, and for storing material before and after reconstitution see lyophilized vs reconstituted storage.
Research use only. This article is educational and is not medical, legal, or financial advice. The compounds discussed are not approved for human or veterinary use, consumption, or therapeutic application.