Vutiglabridin overcomes the GLP-1 RA-associated weight-loss plateau to achieve normal body weight

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Although glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are highly effective for body weight reduction, there remains a critical unmet need for complementary strategies that drive selective fat loss and sustain long-term weight reduction. This study aimed to investigate whether Vutiglabridin, a novel oral small-molecule anti-obesity drug, complements GLP-1 RAs to enhance therapeutic efficacy by selectively reducing fat mass and achieving normal body composition. SUBJECTS/METHODS: 6-week-old mice were fed a high-fat diet (60 kcal% fat) for 11 weeks to generate mice with diet-induced obesity (DIO) and then treated with GLP-1 RAs (Semaglutide, Liraglutide, or Exenatide) either alone or in combination with Vutiglabridin for 3-4 weeks. INTERVENTIONS/METHODS: Body weight, food intake, fat mass, and lean mass were evaluated during treatment. For the drug discontinuation study, mice were administered Vutiglabridin, Semaglutide, or the combination for 4 weeks, after which treatment was withdrawn on Day 28 and body weight regain was monitored for 21 days. RESULTS: In DIO mice treated with Semaglutide, weight loss attenuated, and body weight was maintained at a constant level after 2 weeks. In contrast, co-administration of Vutiglabridin overcame this attenuation of efficacy, enabling continuous weight reduction and achieving normal body composition. Vutiglabridin also resolved the diminishing weight-loss effect when combined with comparatively less potent appetite-suppressing GLP-1 RAs, including liraglutide and exenatide. In addition to normalizing body composition, Vutiglabridin mitigated the body weight and fat-mass regain that occurs following Semaglutide discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that Vutiglabridin can normalize body composition in combination with multiple GLP-1 RAs, highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic option for obesity treatment.