From Lab to Life: GLP-1 Prevents Heart Attacks

Science Daily reports that a large international review study found that “GLP-1 [glucagon-like peptide-1] weight-loss drugs [e.g. Ozempic] significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, and premature death over the long term.”*

“A massive review of over 90,000 patients found that popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like semaglutide significantly lowered the risk of heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, and even premature death over several years of treatment.”

The story of how GLP-1 drugs for weight loss were discovered is fascinating, and is highly instructive about how science often takes a long winding road toward a surprising and powerful result.

GLP-1  drugs  began with the study of gut hormones in the 1970s and took an unexpected detour through the venom of the Gila monster lizard. The discovery and development of these drugs unfolded in four major phases, that unfolded over more than 50 years!.

Phase One:  The “Incretin” Effect. In the 1970s, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital) and the University of Copenhagen began studying why the human body produces much more insulin when sugar is eaten rather than injected. This suggested the gut secretes an unknown “incretin” hormone that signals the pancreas to produce insulin.

Phase Two. Identifying GLP-1. In 1983, Graeme Bell’s lab cloned the proglucagon gene, revealing multiple peptides, including what we now know as GLP-1. Between 1985 and 1987, a team successfully identified the biologically active form of the hormone, GLP-1, and proved it caused a massive increase in insulin secretion.

Phase Three. The Gila Monster Connection. In the 1990s early attempts to make GLP-1 into a diabetes medication failed because the natural human hormone broke down in the bloodstream within minutes. The solution came from an unexpected source: the venom of the Gila monster. Scientist John Eng discovered a peptide in the lizard’s venom called exendin-4, which mimics human GLP-1 but is resistant to being broken down by the body.  {The Gila Monster is a large, slow-moving, venomous lizard native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.}

Phase Four. Drug Development and Mass Approval. Using exendin-4 as a blueprint, pharmaceutical companies like Novo Nordisk (in Denmark) and Eli Lilly created synthetic, long-lasting GLP-1 receptor agonists. The first GLP-1 drug (derived from the Gila monster compound) was approved in 2005 for Type 2 diabetes.

Presentday: Researchers developed longer-acting human GLP-1 analogs (such as semaglutide and liraglutide). During clinical trials, patients experienced massive weight loss, leading to the blockbuster GLP-1 anti-obesity and cardiovascular drugs used worldwide today.

Two bottom lines: a) Obesity is really bad for your health and your heart, and GLP-1 drugs are highly effective. And: b) Getting to GLP-1 took dogged persistence and scientists standing on each other’s shoulders, over a long period of time, and aided by strong funding and broad-minded grants.

* Kezia Peter, Ocin Roka, Emma Sepp, Maya Warburton, Jufen Zhang, Simon C. Cork. The long-term cardiovascular safety and efficacy of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists in high-risk cardiovascular populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cardiovascular Diabetology – Endocrinology Reports, 2026; 12 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s40842-026-00295-3