GLP-1 Family — 9 Compounds Compared
The GLP-1 receptor agonist family as a research category — semaglutide, tirzepatide, retatrutide, liraglutide, dulaglutide, cagrilintide, cagrisema, mazdutide and survodutide compared on class, mass and reported half-life.
What this category covers
The GLP-1 family in the PeptiDex library covers single-agonist GLP-1 peptides, dual GIP/GLP-1 agonists, triple agonists that add glucagon-receptor activity, and adjacent amylin analogs and fixed combinations referenced in metabolic-research literature.
What makes this a coherent category is receptor coverage rather than chemistry: the entries share an incretin-receptor research context, but they differ in how many receptors each one engages. That count is the single most useful thing to hold onto when reading across them — it is what separates a selective GLP-1 agonist from a dual or triple agonist, and it is stated in every entry's compound class below.
Half-life is the second axis. The family spans compounds reported at roughly half a day through to compounds reported at about a week, and the difference is structural: albumin-binding side chains, backbone substitutions that resist enzymatic cleavage, and in one case fusion to an antibody fragment. The comparison table puts both axes next to each other.
Every entry in this category, side by side
All 9 compounds PeptiDex documents under GLP-1 Family, on the specifications that actually separate one entry from another. Values are reproduced from each entry's own record; follow any name for the full research overview.
| Entry | Compound class | Length (aa) | Molecular weight | Reported half-life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide | GLP-1 receptor agonist | 31 | 4113.6 g/mol | ~7 days |
| Tirzepatide | Dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist | 39 | 4813.5 g/mol | ~5 days |
| Retatrutide | Triple GIP/GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist | 39 | ~4731 g/mol | ~6 days |
| Liraglutide | GLP-1 receptor agonist | 31 | 3751.2 g/mol | ~13 hours |
| Cagrilintide | Long-acting amylin receptor agonist (amylin analog) | Not listed | ~3731 g/mol | ~7 days |
| Dulaglutide | GLP-1 receptor agonist | Not listed | ~59700 g/mol | ~5 days |
| Cagrisema (Cagrilintide + Semaglutide) | Fixed-combination amylin analog plus GLP-1 receptor agonist | Not listed | Not listed | ~7 days (both components) |
| Mazdutide | Dual GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Survodutide | Dual GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist | Not listed | Not listed | ~6-7 days (~120-170 hours) |
Of the 9 compounds above, 6 carry a published molecular weight, 8 have a reported half-life, 4 have a documented residue count and 4 have a published amino-acid sequence. No half-life is recorded for Mazdutide.
A cell reading "Not listed" is a gap in the published record, not an omission on this page. PeptiDex records a specification only where a source documents it. Some entries here are blends or multi-component preparations, which have no single molecular weight to report at all. Where a value has never been established in the published literature the cell says so, rather than carrying an estimate — a plausible-looking number would make the table read as complete while making it wrong.
Mechanisms represented in this category
The 9 compounds here resolve into 6 compound classes, 2 of which are shared by more than one entry. Entries inside a group carry the same stated class; entries in different groups are not interchangeable, however similar their research context looks.
GLP-1 receptor agonist 3 entries
- Semaglutide — Semaglutide is a structurally modified analog of native glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that binds and activates the GLP-1 receptor.
- Liraglutide — Liraglutide is an analog of native GLP-1 sharing high sequence homology with the human hormone.
- Dulaglutide — Dulaglutide is a fusion protein consisting of two modified human GLP-1 analog peptides covalently linked to a human immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) Fc fragment.
Dual GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist 2 entries
- Mazdutide — Mazdutide is a synthetic peptide agonist that activates both the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, structurally based on the glucagon/oxyntomodulin family.
- Survodutide — Survodutide is a synthetic peptide agonist that activates both the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors.
Dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist
- Tirzepatide — Tirzepatide is a synthetic peptide that activates both the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and the GLP-1 receptor.
Fixed-combination amylin analog plus GLP-1 receptor agonist
- Cagrisema (Cagrilintide + Semaglutide) — CagriSema combines two complementary mechanisms in a single formulation: cagrilintide, a long-acting amylin analog acting on amylin/calcitonin receptors, and semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist.
Long-acting amylin receptor agonist
- Cagrilintide — Cagrilintide is a modified, long-acting analog of the pancreatic hormone amylin that acts as an agonist at amylin and calcitonin receptors.
Triple GIP/GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist
- Retatrutide — Retatrutide is a synthetic peptide agonist designed to activate the GIP, GLP-1, and glucagon receptors simultaneously.
Each line is the opening sentence of that entry's own mechanism record, reproduced verbatim. The full mechanism, the research areas behind it and the evidence level sit on the entry's page.
How the compounds in this category differ
Sharing a category does not make two compounds substitutes. Each note below is the differentiator recorded on that entry — the property that separates it from the others in the table.
Semaglutide
A long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist extensively studied in metabolic and appetite-regulation research.
Unlike dual or triple agonists, semaglutide is a selective GLP-1 receptor agonist. Its once-weekly dosing and availability in an oral form distinguish it from the older once-daily liraglutide.
Tirzepatide
A dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist of significant interest in metabolic peptide research.
Tirzepatide differs from semaglutide and other single GLP-1 agonists by simultaneously engaging the GIP receptor, a mechanism proposed to contribute to its metabolic effects.
Retatrutide
A triple agonist (GLP-1/GIP/glucagon) representing the newest class in GLP-axis research.
Retatrutide differs from tirzepatide and semaglutide by adding a third target, the glucagon receptor, making it a triple agonist rather than a single or dual agonist.
Liraglutide
An earlier-generation GLP-1 receptor agonist widely referenced in comparative research.
Liraglutide is a once-daily GLP-1 agonist with a shorter half-life than the once-weekly semaglutide, reflecting its earlier-generation design.
Cagrilintide
A long-acting amylin analog studied alongside GLP-1 agonists in metabolic-research contexts.
Cagrilintide is an amylin analog, not a GLP-1 or GIP agonist, so it acts through a different appetite-regulating pathway and is often studied in combination with incretin agents.
Dulaglutide
A long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist Fc-fusion referenced in comparative metabolic research.
Dulaglutide differs structurally from most GLP-1 agonists by being an Fc-fusion protein, achieving long duration through antibody-fragment fusion rather than fatty-acid acylation.
Cagrisema (Cagrilintide + Semaglutide)
A research-supplier blend combining the amylin analog cagrilintide with the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide, referenced in combination metabolic-research contexts.
CagriSema is distinguished by being a fixed combination of an amylin analog and a GLP-1 agonist, rather than a single-molecule mono-, dual-, or triple-agonist.
Mazdutide
A dual GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist referenced in emerging metabolic-research literature.
Mazdutide differs from tirzepatide by pairing GLP-1 with glucagon-receptor agonism (rather than GIP), and from single GLP-1 agonists by its dual-receptor action.
Survodutide
A dual GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonist studied in emerging metabolic and hepatic-research contexts.
Survodutide is a GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist (like mazdutide) rather than a GIP/GLP-1 agonist like tirzepatide, and has been notably studied for liver disease endpoints.
Commonly co-studied pairs
Pairings documented on the entries themselves, with the reason each is co-referenced. Cross-referencing research context is not a combination recommendation, and PeptiDex gives no protocol, ratio or dosing guidance.
Within GLP-1 Family
- Semaglutide + Cagrilintide — Co-studied as the amylin-analogue partner to semaglutide; the fixed combination is CagriSema.
- Semaglutide + Cagrisema (Cagrilintide + Semaglutide) — The 1:1 cagrilintide+semaglutide fixed-dose blend studied for additive weight-related effects.
- Semaglutide + Tirzepatide — Frequently benchmarked against semaglutide as the GLP-1/GIP dual-agonist comparator.
- Tirzepatide + Retatrutide — Studied alongside tirzepatide as the next-generation triple (GLP-1/GIP/glucagon) agonist step-up.
- Retatrutide + Survodutide — Both add glucagon-receptor activity, so they are studied together within the glucagon-inclusive agonist class.
- Retatrutide + Mazdutide — Co-studied as another glucagon-plus-GLP-1 agonist for comparative metabolic pharmacology.
- Liraglutide + Semaglutide — Its longer-acting successor; the two are compared to show how acylation changes dosing frequency.
- Cagrilintide + Cagrisema (Cagrilintide + Semaglutide) — The fixed-dose cagrilintide+semaglutide combination in which cagrilintide is the amylin component.
4 further pairings are documented on the individual entries. Each note is reproduced from the entry that records the pairing.
What this category is studied for
Research areas drawn from the 9 compounds in this category, deduplicated and ordered by how many entries list them. A further 5 research areas are listed across the individual entries.
Listing a research area records where a compound has been studied. It is not a claim of efficacy, an indication, or a suggestion of human use.
Category questions
How many compounds does PeptiDex list under GLP-1 Family?
9: Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, Retatrutide, Liraglutide, Cagrilintide, Dulaglutide, Cagrisema (Cagrilintide + Semaglutide), Mazdutide and Survodutide. Each has its own research overview covering compound class, mechanism, studied research areas, specifications and entry-specific questions.
Why do some entries show "Not listed" instead of a molecular weight or half-life?
Because PeptiDex records a specification only where a source documents it. In this category 6 of 9 entries have a published molecular weight and 8 have a reported half-life. Some entries here are blends or multi-component preparations, which have no single molecular weight to report; for the rest, the value has simply not been established in the published literature. An estimate there would look like data and function as a guess, so the gap is shown instead.
What compound classes are represented in this category?
6 distinct classes across the 9 compounds: GLP-1 receptor agonist, Dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, Triple GIP/GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist, Long-acting amylin receptor agonist, Fixed-combination amylin analog plus GLP-1 receptor agonist and Dual GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist. Entries sharing a class are grouped together in the mechanisms section; the comparison table lists each entry's full class verbatim, qualifiers included.
Which entries in this category are studied together?
Semaglutide and Cagrilintide are cross-referenced on each other's entries: Co-studied as the amylin-analogue partner to semaglutide; the fixed combination is CagriSema. The co-studied pairs section lists the rest. Co-reference describes how the literature groups compounds; it is not a combination recommendation and no ratios or protocols are given.
Are the compounds in this category approved for human use?
PeptiDex documents all 9 entries strictly for research and educational purposes and provides no dosing, protocol or human-use guidance. Regulatory status differs from entry to entry and is stated in the regulatory note on each entry's own page. Nothing here is medical advice or a therapeutic claim.
Where should I start in this category?
The comparison table gives the fastest orientation, then the differentiator notes explain why two entries with similar research contexts are not interchangeable. Semaglutide, Tirzepatide and Retatrutide are the entries PeptiDex features here. The glossary defines the vocabulary the entries are written in.
Answers summarise what the catalog records for this category. They are educational context, not medical advice. See the Research Library, the Glossary and each entry's own page for detail.
See also
- GLP-1 Peptides Explained — the long-form editorial comparison of this family, including discovery timelines and structural detail.
- Metabolic & Mitochondrial hub — metabolic research compounds that act through lipolytic and mitochondrial pathways instead of incretin receptors.
- Compare Peptides — put any two or three of these entries side by side on the full specification set.
- Glossary — incretin, agonist, analog, half-life and the rest of the vocabulary used above.