Cell reports. MedicineJun 19, 2026

Safety and effectiveness of GZR18, a long-lasting blood sugar hormone medicine, in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes

GLP-1 Therapies Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Jun 20, 2026

Abstract

GZR18 significantly reduces glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) by -1.32% to -1.81% compared to placebo in a trial with 72 participants.

The trial includes two parts, with different dose-titration regimens for GZR18 over 26 and 23 weeks.
In both parts, GZR18 demonstrates a reduction in HbA1c levels compared to placebo.
Improvements in body weight and other metabolic parameters are also noted with GZR18 treatment.
GZR18 is reported to be safe and well tolerated, with mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal side effects.
No severe hypoglycemia or serious treatment-related adverse events are observed during the trial.

Simplified

GZR18 is a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist that is under development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1b/2a trial in Chinese adults with T2DM, the safety and efficacy of once-weekly GZR18 are evaluated using different dose-titration regimens in two separate parts: Part A (0.5-4 mg over 26 weeks) and Part B (1.5-13 mg over 23 weeks). Overall, 72 participants are enrolled, of whom 62 complete the trial. GZR18 significantly reduces glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in both parts (Part A: -1.32% for GZR18 versus 0.86% for placebo; Part B: -1.81% for GZR18 versus 0.12% for placebo). Improvements in body weight and other metabolic parameters are also observed. GZR18 is safe and well tolerated, with mostly mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal adverse events; no severe hypoglycemia or treatment-related serious adverse events occurred. These findings support further development of GZR18 in larger, longer-term trials. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06256523).

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Competing interests

Declaration of interests M. Liu, X.W., M. Li, E.Y., A.Y., M.Y., R.D., G.Q., P.L., C.L., and Y.C. received research funding from Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals, during the conduct of the trial. W.C. is the shareholder of Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals. J.Z. and L.Z. are employees of Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Safety and effectiveness of GZR18, a long-lasting blood sugar hormone medicine, in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

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Funding

Competing interests

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Abstract

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