This comprehensive review examines the latest research on both peptides and contrasts their potential properties and actions. Studies suggest that incretin mimetics, such as dulaglutide and semaglutide, may be compounds used as potential adjuvants in research in the context of type 2 diabetes.
What follows is an analysis of the two peptides, suggested by the most current research, comparing their efficacy and potential in great detail.
Dulaglutide peptide: what is it?
A synthetic peptide analogue of the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is dulaglutide, created by a pharmaceutical company in the 2000s. Its unusual structure extends its half-life to about five days. Some of the more interesting aspects of its design include:
- There are two disulfide-linked chains in the peptide, which are quite similar to GLP-1.
- A modified IgG4-Fc fragment is linked to the two chains by a peptide bond. This change to IgG4-Fc decreases the immunological cytotoxicity of the peptide by decreasing its affinity for Fc receptors.
- It has been hypothesized that dulaglutide’s structure protects it from DPP-4 degradation, which may enhance its potential properties. However, the increase in size caused by IgG4-Fc binding slows its clearance rate.
- Studies suggest that dulaglutide may activate GLP-1 receptors in several organs, including the pancreas. In research models of type 2 diabetes (T2D), it may help regulate postprandial glucose by stimulating insulin secretion. The Assessment of Weekly Administration of LY2189265 (Dulaglutide) in Diabetes (AWARD) research program has conducted extensive studies on the peptide.
Semaglutide Peptide: What is it?
A synthetic peptide analogue of the GLP-1 hormone is semaglutide. It was created in the 2010s and shares 94% of its molecular structure with GLP-1. This peptide, which has an increased half-life of five days, is thought to be the result of many changes:
The compound has been improved to make it more resistant to enzymatic degradation and to bind to serum proteins. As a result, it has a longer half-life. Research suggests that after administration, semaglutide may increase insulin production and help control blood sugar after meals by interacting with GLP-1 receptors throughout the body.
Dulaglutide vs. Semaglutide and weight
It has been hypothesized that semaglutide may serve as an investigational agent in the context of obesity and its maintenance in research models following the positive results of the Phase 3 STEP studies. The following is information that investigators investigating the STEP program and the efficacy of semaglutide for weight loss should be aware of:
- The STEP program includes ten Phase 3 studies (STEP 1-10) to determine whether once-weekly semaglutide is effective for weight loss.
- It has been theorized that, from the initial weight of the research subjects, the peptide allows a reduction of 9.6 to 17.4% in 68 weeks, as suggested by the published STEP trials.
- For the largest experiment, STEP-1, overweight and obese research models without type 2 diabetes were recruited; of these, 2/3 received semaglutide weekly. Over 68 weeks, the peptide appeared to have decreased by 15.0% relative to baseline weight.
- After 52 weeks on the highest concentration of Dulaglutide, the research models in the AWARD-11 study appeared to have lost 5.2% of their body weight compared to their baseline weight.
Another study indicated that semaglutide appeared to produce a much greater weight reduction than dulaglutide. In particular, when comparing semaglutide with dulaglutide, semaglutide appeared to produce a greater average weight reduction.
Dulaglutide versus semaglutide and type 2 diabetes
In type 2 diabetes, there has been speculation about the glycemic control potential of dulaglutide and semaglutide. Reductions in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels are an indicator of glycemic control; however, research suggests that semaglutide may be more practical in this regard:
- After 40 weeks of presentation with once-weekly semaglutide, the SUSTAIN-FORTE study suggested a -2.2% fall in baseline hemoglobin A1c and a 1.9% fall with once-weekly semaglutide.
- After 36 weeks of presentation with Dulaglutide weekly, the AWARD-11 study indicated that baseline HbA1c levels appeared to decrease by 1.77%.
- One study also indirectly evaluated the efficacy of dulaglutide with semaglutide. According to the research, semaglutide administered once weekly appeared to be more effective than the other GLP-1 agonists by a margin of 0.07%.
Buy Semaglutide peptide if you are a licensed professional interested in further studying the potential of this compound.
