Mazdutide: An emerging glucagon/GCG-like peptide-1 dual receptor agonist for obesity—a comparison of therapeutic effects and potential side effects with GCG-like peptide-1 inhibitors

Table 2 Comparison of the different effects produced by mazdutide and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists

Therapeutic efficacy	Mazdutide	GLP-1R agonists
Appetite suppression	GLP-1R activation → slows gastric emptying and increases satiety, while GCGR activation also suppresses appetite. The dual mechanism enhances the appetite-suppressing effect	GLP-1R activation → same effect, mainly through slowing gastric emptying and increasing satiety to suppress appetite
Energy expenditure	GCGR activation → increases basal metabolic rate and energy expenditure, promotes fat oxidation, and aids in weight loss	No such effect; mainly affects energy intake through mechanisms such as slowing gastric emptying, with no direct effect on energy expenditure
Liver fat metabolism	GCGR activation → promotes fatty acid oxidation, inhibits lipid synthesis, reduces liver fat accumulation, and improves liver metabolism	Indirect effect (through weight loss), mainly improves liver fat metabolism by reducing body weight, with minimal direct impact on liver fat
Glucose metabolism regulation	Dual synergistic effect → reduces hepatic glucose output and increases insulin sensitivity, through activation of GLP-1R and GCGR, jointly regulating glucose metabolism with more pronounced effects	Primarily dependent on insulin secretion promotion, through activation of GLP-1R to promote insulin secretion and inhibit glucagon secretion, thereby regulating blood glucose levels

GCGR: Glucagon receptor; GLP-1R: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor.