What conditions does ecnoglutide treat?

Ecnoglutide is a “cAMP signaling biased” glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist currently under development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. It has shown great promise so far in its initial clinical trials.

In a Phase 2 trial treating type 2 diabetes, ecnoglutide significantly reduced HbA1c levels compared to placebo at several doses. The highest dose tested, which was 1.2 mg injected once weekly, reported decreases in HbA1c that were comparable to tirzepatide.

In a Phase 3 trial of ecnoglutide treating adults who were obese or overweight, it also reported good results. In the group given 2.4 mg once weekly (the highest dose), they lost up to 13.2% of their body weight over 48 weeks of treatment. In addition to these indications, ecnoglutide is also being looked at for a possible role in treating other conditions such as certain types of liver disease and heart disease.

Sources

• Zhu D, Wang W, et al. Efficacy and safety of GLP-1 analog ecnoglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial. Nat Commun. 2024 Sep 27;15(1):8408. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-52353-y. Accessed June 30, 2025.
• Ji L, Gao L, Xue H, et al. Efficacy and safety of a biased GLP-1 receptor agonist ecnoglutide in adults with overweight or obesity: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. Published online June 21, 2025. Accessed June 30, 2025.