Evidence mapPaperPMID 40993341Full record

SynthesisTherapeutic innovation & regulatory science2026

Incretin Dominance and Emerging Mechanisms in Obesity Pharmacotherapy: Insights from 275 Registered Clinical Trials (2019-2024).

Lucas Antônio Dos Santos Barbosa, Bassel Almarie, Eduardo Luiz Gasnhar Moreira

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Therapeutic innovation & regulatory science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Lucas Antônio Dos Santos BarbosaGraduate Program in Neuroscience, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
Bassel AlmarieNeuromodulation Center and Center for Clinical Research Learning, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Eduardo Luiz Gasnhar MoreiraGraduate Program in Neuroscience, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. eduardo.luiz@ufsc.br.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Obesity remains a critical global health challenge, with rising prevalence and a substantial cardiometabolic and psychosocial burden. Recent therapeutic advances, particularly in incretin-based strategies, underscore the need for a comprehensive characterization of the evolving pharmacological landscape. We conducted a systematic review of clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov between October 2019 and October 2024, focusing on pharmacological interventions for obesity from early exploratory stages to Phase 3. A total of 275 eligible trials were identified and analyzed. Incretin pathway modulators predominated (69.8%), especially GLP-1 receptor agonists and dual or triple agonists targeting GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors. Most trials were in Phase 2 (40.7%) or Phase 3 (31.3%), indicating a maturing pipeline, while early-stage innovation remained limited (3.3% of trials). Drug repurposing was common (22.2%), notably involving semaglutide and liraglutide, originally approved for type 2 diabetes. Industry-sponsored trials constituted the majority (75.3%), with limited academic (22.2%) and governmental (2.5%) participation. Geographically, trials were concentrated in the United States, China, and Denmark, with relatively few international multicenter studies. While the obesity drug pipeline is expanding rapidly, it remains heavily centered on incretin-based therapies. This dominance, despite strong clinical efficacy, raises concerns regarding long-term safety, accessibility, and mechanistic diversity. Greater investment in early-phase innovation and alternative pharmacological targets will be essential to diversify treatment options and address the unmet need for equitable and sustainable obesity management.

Indexed as

Anti-Obesity AgentsIncretinsObesityClinical Trials as TopicGlucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsHumansLiraglutideAnti-Obesity AgentsGlucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsIncretinsLiraglutideAnti-obesity agentsClinical trialsDrug developmentIncretinsObesity

Identifiers

What Socratic holds

Texttitle and abstract
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.