Why GLP-1 is — and isn’t — the next PD-1

Challenges in peptide manufacturing and small molecule toxicity are two reasons GLP-1 may not be poised to become the next PD-1, despite similarities in how molecules against each target have burst onto the market. 

In both cases, the large effect sizes and early commercial successes of the classes’ first movers triggered a crowding into the space. In immuno-oncology, there’s no question that the PD-1/PD-L1 mechanism is now the backbone of most combination therapeutic strategies. The expectation is that GLP-1 agonists will follow suit in the cardiometabolic setting, particularly in obesity...