Two of the most interesting molecules in obesity research skip the GIP receptor entirely. Mazdutide and survodutide pair GLP-1 with glucagon, the hormone usually cast as insulin’s opposite, and both now have phase 3 results. One is already approved in China. The other has built much of its case around the liver.
This guide compares them side by side: where the idea came from, what each trial found, where the two differ, and what to check before ordering either for research in Canada.
The short answer
- Both are once-weekly injectable peptides that activate the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, a combination modelled on the natural gut hormone oxyntomodulin.
- Mazdutide, discovered at Eli Lilly and developed in China by Innovent Biologics, became the first approved GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist when China approved it in June 2025. In GLORY-1, the higher dose produced 14.8% weight loss versus 0.5% with placebo at 48 weeks.
- Survodutide, from Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma, reported phase 3 results in 2026: up to 16.6% weight loss versus 3.2% at 76 weeks in SYNCHRONIZE-1, and up to 13.1% versus 3.1% in people with type 2 diabetes.
- The glucagon arm’s signature is the liver. Both programs reported large drops in liver fat, and survodutide holds FDA breakthrough therapy designation for MASH with fibrosis.
- Neither is authorized in Canada. Research-grade versions are laboratory reagents.
Why pair GLP-1 with glucagon?
Glucagon has a reputation as insulin’s opposite: it raises blood sugar by telling the liver to release glucose. But it also does things obesity researchers care about. It increases energy expenditure, drives fat breakdown and fat burning in the liver, and contributes to fullness. The catch is the rise in blood sugar. Pairing glucagon activity with GLP-1, which boosts insulin release when glucose is high, is meant to keep the benefits and cancel the catch.
Nature got there first. Oxyntomodulin, a 37-amino-acid peptide released from the same gut cells as GLP-1, activates both receptors. In a small 2005 study at Imperial College London, injections of oxyntomodulin reduced food intake and body weight over four weeks in volunteers with overweight. Native oxyntomodulin is short-lived in the bloodstream, so drug developers set out to build long-acting versions. Mazdutide and survodutide are two of the results.
Mazdutide: first to market, in China
Mazdutide began in Eli Lilly’s laboratories as LY3305677, an oxyntomodulin-inspired dual agonist. Lilly licensed its development and commercialization in China to Innovent Biologics, which ran the program as IBI362.
GLORY-1, the pivotal phase 3 trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2025, enrolled 610 Chinese adults with overweight or obesity and tested two doses against placebo for 48 weeks. Among participants who stayed on treatment, body weight fell 12.0% and 14.8% on the lower and higher doses, versus 0.5% on placebo. Among those who started with at least 10% liver fat, liver fat fell by about 66% and 80%, versus about 5% on placebo.
In June 2025, China’s National Medical Products Administration approved mazdutide for chronic weight management, the first approval of a GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist anywhere. A higher-dose phase 3 trial, GLORY-2, followed. A second Chinese approval, for blood-sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, came in September 2025. Mazdutide is not approved in Canada, the US or Europe, and GLORY-1’s participants were enrolled using Chinese BMI thresholds, so its results may not transfer directly to other populations.
Research-grade mazdutide with a batch-matched COA.
View mazdutideSurvodutide: built around the liver
Survodutide, BI 456906, was developed by Boehringer Ingelheim with the Danish biotech Zealand Pharma. Where mazdutide’s story starts with weight, survodutide’s has leaned on the liver from early on. The FDA granted it fast track designation in 2021 and breakthrough therapy designation in September 2024 for MASH with fibrosis, the progressive, scarring form of fatty liver disease. A phase 2 trial in people with biopsy-confirmed MASH, published in 2024, found substantially more improvement in MASH with survodutide than with placebo.
Phase 3 results arrived through 2026:
- April 2026: SYNCHRONIZE-1In 725 adults with obesity or overweight and no diabetes, survodutide produced up to 16.6% weight loss at 76 weeks versus 3.2% with placebo, among participants who stayed on treatment. 85.1% lost at least 5%.
- June 2026: full results and liver dataAn MRI substudy showed visceral fat down by up to 34% versus 12% with placebo, and liver fat down by up to 63% versus 25%. In the separate 48-week SYNCHRONIZE-MASLD trial, liver fat returned to normal in about six in ten participants.
- October 2026: SYNCHRONIZE-2In adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes, survodutide produced up to 13.1% weight loss at 76 weeks versus 3.1% with placebo.
Tolerability is the open question. In SYNCHRONIZE-1, up to 19% of participants stopped treatment because of gastrointestinal side effects, a figure that drew attention when the full data were presented in June 2026. Survodutide has not been approved anywhere.
Side by side
| Mazdutide | Survodutide | |
|---|---|---|
| Development codes | LY3305677 (Lilly), IBI362 (Innovent) | BI 456906 |
| Developers | Innovent Biologics in China, under licence from Eli Lilly | Boehringer Ingelheim, with Zealand Pharma |
| Receptors | GLP-1 and glucagon | Glucagon and GLP-1 |
| Pivotal obesity trial | GLORY-1: 610 Chinese adults, 48 weeks | SYNCHRONIZE-1: 725 adults, 76 weeks |
| Weight change vs placebo | −14.8% vs −0.5% (higher dose, on treatment) | Up to −16.6% vs −3.2% (on treatment) |
| In type 2 diabetes | Separate trials in China | SYNCHRONIZE-2: up to −13.1% vs −3.1% |
| Liver signal | Liver fat about −80% vs −5% (higher dose, starting liver fat 10% or more) | Liver fat up to −63% vs −25% (MRI substudy); FDA breakthrough designation for MASH |
| Approval | China: chronic weight management (June 2025) and type 2 diabetes (September 2025) | Not yet approved |
| Canada | Not authorized | Not authorized |
Three cautions before reading this table as a ranking. There is no head-to-head trial. The populations differ: GLORY-1 enrolled Chinese adults using Chinese BMI cut-offs, while SYNCHRONIZE-1 was a global trial. And the durations differ, 48 weeks versus 76, at a stage when weight is usually still falling. Our GLP-1 research map explains how to read trial numbers across the whole class.
MazdutideGLP-1 and glucagon dual agonistView product and COA
SurvodutideGlucagon and GLP-1 dual agonistView product and COA
RetatrutideAdds GIP for a triple agonistView product and COA
CagrilintideAmylin analogue, a different pathwayView product and COA
Where retatrutide fits
Retatrutide keeps the same GLP-1 and glucagon core and adds a third receptor, GIP. In Lilly’s phase 3 TRIUMPH-1 trial, participants who stayed on the highest dose lost an average of 28.3% of their body weight at 80 weeks, or 25.0% counting everyone randomized. Whether the extra receptor, the receptor balance or other design choices explain the gap is not settled, and only a direct comparison could answer it. See our retatrutide research guide for the details.
What’s established and what isn’t
Reasonably well established
- Both peptides produce meaningful weight loss versus placebo in phase 3 trials.
- Both markedly reduce liver fat, consistent with glucagon-receptor activity.
- Mazdutide is approved in China; survodutide has FDA breakthrough status for MASH with fibrosis.
Open questions
- How the two compare directly, since no head-to-head trial exists.
- Long-term liver outcomes such as fibrosis and cirrhosis, which need longer biopsy-based trials.
- Gastrointestinal tolerability, particularly for survodutide.
- How GLORY-1’s results in Chinese adults translate to other populations.
Sourcing mazdutide and survodutide in Canada
Both are large, lipidated peptides with similar-sounding names, so documentation matters. Before ordering, check that:
- The mass matches the exact compound named. Peptides of this size appear as several multiply charged ions in mass spectrometry, so the report should state the deconvoluted mass and match it to the right molecule. See our COA guide.
- The HPLC method suits lipidated peptides, which are strongly retained and prone to aggregation. See our HPLC testing guide.
- The lot number on the COA matches your vial.
- Storage is cold, dry and dark. See our peptide storage guide.
Research use only. Mazdutide and survodutide from Pure Peptides Canada are laboratory reagents for in-vitro research. They are not approved drugs in Canada, they are not for human or veterinary use, and nothing in this article is dosing or medical guidance.
Frequently asked questions
What is mazdutide?
Mazdutide is a once-weekly injectable peptide that activates both the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. It was discovered at Eli Lilly and developed in China by Innovent Biologics, and in June 2025 China approved it for chronic weight management, the first approval of a GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist anywhere.
What is survodutide?
Survodutide, also known as BI 456906, is a glucagon and GLP-1 receptor dual agonist developed by Boehringer Ingelheim with Zealand Pharma. It reported phase 3 obesity results in 2026 and has FDA breakthrough therapy designation for MASH with fibrosis. It is not approved anywhere yet.
What is the difference between mazdutide and survodutide?
Both activate the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. They are different molecules from different companies with different development paths: mazdutide is approved in China and was tested in its pivotal trial in Chinese adults, while survodutide’s global program has leaned heavily on liver disease and is still in development.
Which produces more weight loss, mazdutide or survodutide?
There is no head-to-head trial. In GLORY-1, mazdutide’s higher dose produced 14.8% weight loss versus 0.5% with placebo at 48 weeks. In SYNCHRONIZE-1, survodutide produced up to 16.6% versus 3.2% at 76 weeks. Different populations and durations make a direct ranking unreliable.
Is mazdutide approved in Canada?
No. Mazdutide is approved only in China. Neither mazdutide nor survodutide is authorized in Canada, and research-grade versions are laboratory reagents that are not for human use.
Why add glucagon to a GLP-1 drug?
Glucagon increases energy expenditure and fat burning in the liver but raises blood sugar. GLP-1 boosts insulin release when glucose is high, which is meant to offset that rise. The design mimics oxyntomodulin, a natural gut hormone that activates both receptors.
How do mazdutide and survodutide relate to retatrutide?
Retatrutide activates the same two receptors plus a third, GIP. In its phase 3 TRIUMPH-1 trial, participants who stayed on the highest dose lost 28.3% of body weight at 80 weeks, though results from different trials cannot be compared directly.
Dual and triple agonists for laboratory research
Mazdutide, survodutide and retatrutide with independent, batch-matched COAs, tracked delivery across Canada and pricing in Canadian dollars.
References
- Wynne K, Park AJ, Small CJ, et al. Subcutaneous oxyntomodulin reduces body weight in overweight and obese subjects: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Diabetes. 2005;54(8):2390–2395.
- Ji L, et al. Mazdutide in Chinese adults with overweight or obesity (GLORY-1). N Engl J Med. 2025.
- Innovent Biologics. Mazdutide, first dual GCG/GLP-1 receptor agonist, received approval from China’s NMPA for chronic weight management. June 27, 2025. Press release
- Sanyal AJ, et al. A phase 2 randomized trial of survodutide in MASH and fibrosis. N Engl J Med. 2024;391(4):311–319.
- Boehringer Ingelheim. Survodutide achieved significant weight loss of 16.6% in Phase III SYNCHRONIZE-1. April 28, 2026. Press release
- Zealand Pharma. Survodutide Phase III trial showed targeted 34% visceral and 63% liver fat reduction. June 7, 2026. Press release
- Zealand Pharma. Survodutide achieves up to 13.1% weight loss in Phase III SYNCHRONIZE-2. October 1, 2026. Press release
- Eli Lilly and Company. Retatrutide delivered powerful weight loss in pivotal Phase 3 obesity trial (TRIUMPH-1). May 21, 2026. Press release
- Innovent Biologics. Announcement on the approval of mazdutide by China’s National Medical Products Administration for glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Hong Kong Stock Exchange, September 19, 2025. HKEX filing
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use. This article summarizes published research for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.