Trends

Formulating success: How excipient providers are enabling advanced GLP-1 therapies

TrendsPharmaceuticals

Discover the role of excipients in GLP-1 therapies and how they support innovative treatments for obesity.

Obesity has become one of the most pressing global health challenges of the 21st century. The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies it as a significant public health crisis due to its strong association with chronic health problems such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancer types. Alarmingly, the global prevalence of obesity has nearly doubled since 1990, with approximately one in eight individuals now impacted. In response to this growing epidemic, Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have emerged as a transformative class of medicines. GLP-1 receptor agonists work by modulating appetite, slowing gastric emptying, and enhancing insulin production, thereby offering a multifaceted approach to weight management and metabolic health.

Challenge statement
Despite the clinical promise of GLP-1 receptor agonists, several barriers continue to limit their widespread adoption and long-term effectiveness. Key challenges include:

  • Route of administration: Most GLP-1 therapies are administered by injection, requiring frequent dosing and involving “needles” that can deter patient adherence.
  • Gastrointestinal side effects: Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea are common, impacting tolerability and compromising acceptability.
  • Pharmacokinetics: Low and inconsistent absorption, especially by the oral route of administration, can compromise efficacy.
  • Cost: High treatment costs restrict access, particularly in resource-challenged settings.

These limitations underscore the need for innovative pharmaceutical development strategies that enhance patient experience, improve therapeutic outcomes, and reduce healthcare burdens.

Excipients used in GLP-1 medications

Excipients play a critical role in the formulation of injectable and oral GLP-1 receptor agonists. They are not pharmacologically active themselves but are essential for:

  • Stabilising the active ingredient (e.g., peptides like semaglutide or liraglutide) and extending product shelf-life indirectly improves stability
  • Enhancing bioavailability (solubility and absorption)
  • Controlling well-defined release profiles
  • Improving tolerability, increasing patient compliance, and acceptance

In injectable formulations, common excipients include:

  • Buffering agents (e.g., phosphate buffers) to maintain pH
  • Preservatives (e.g., phenol) to prevent microbial growth
  • Stabilisers (e.g., polysorbates) to protect peptide integrity

In oral formulations, excipient selection is more critical because peptides must be protected from enzymatic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract. Oral excipient choices may include:

  • Permeation enhancers (e.g., SNAC – sodium N-[8-(2-hydroxybenzoyl) amino] caprylate)
  • Enteric coatings to delay release until reaching the intestine 
  • Mucoadhesive agents to prolong contact time with absorption sites

Possible solutions

To overcome current limitations and improve patient outcomes, several promising strategies are being explored:

  1. Oral delivery technologies: Advances in excipient science are enabling the development of oral GLP-1 formulations that enhance bioavailability and eliminate the need for injections.
  2. Long-acting injectables: Extended-release formulations using biodegradable polymers or microspheres can reduce dosing frequency to once monthly or longer.
  3. Alternative routes of administration: Intranasal, transdermal, and sublingual delivery systems are under investigation to bypass gastrointestinal degradation and improve convenience.
  4. Cost reduction strategies: Biosimilar development, improved manufacturing processes, and strategic partnerships may help lower production costs and expand patient access.
  5. Personalised formulation approaches: Tailoring excipient combinations based on patient-specific factors (e.g., GI tolerance, metabolic profile) could optimise efficacy and mitigate side effects.

IMCD – Excipient solutions for anti-obesity 

Through supplier partnerships, IMCD is ideally positioned to support large-volume ingredient requirements and address supply chain concerns, ensuring a seamless, reliable supply during development and manufacturing. IMCD’s team of technical experts provides tailored support, assisting formulators to meet the highest standards of quality, performance, compliance, and efficiency. IMCD understands the complexity and challenges of bringing new therapies to market and is committed to providing individualised, science-based support to help successfully navigate each drug development phase. 


IMCD – A partner in your biomanufacturing journey as well

Besides being a trusted supplier of pharmaceutical excipients, IMCD plays a key role in manufacturing biologically active substances. By providing essential nutrients (nitrogen sources, carbon sources, growth factors) and important process aids (media structuring, protective agents, antifoams, cryopreservatives) used in cell culture, IMCD supports the production of the drug substance that will later be formulated into the final drug product.



IMCD’s commitment to a healthier world 

IMCD's Pharmaceutical Business Group is committed to supporting the ongoing advancement of the biopharmaceutical industry. By providing innovative ingredients, tailored solutions, and expert technical support, IMCD enables customers to accelerate the development of life-changing therapies. Together, we are contributing to a healthier world, one breakthrough at a time. 

References:
1. Kim, D.-H., and J.-E. Kim. “Recent Advances in Oral GLP-1 Formulations.” Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation, vol. 55, no. 3, 2025, pp. 215–230. SpringerLink, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40005-025-00762-6.
2. Dumont, A., et al. “Lipid-Based Formulation in Customised Enteric Capsules for GLP-1 Delivery.” European Conference on Pharmacology, July 2025. PharmaExcipients, https://www.pharmaexcipients.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Lipid-Based-Formulation-in.pdf.
3. Jung, H., et al. “GLP-1RA Oral Formulation and Its Preclinical Evaluation.” Diabetes, vol. 74, suppl. 1, 2025, p. 766-P. American Diabetes Association, https://diabetesjournals.org/diabetes/article/74/Supplement_1/766-P/160042/766-P-GLP-1RA-Oral-Formulation-and-Its-Preclinical.
4. Altasciences. GLP-1 Drug Development: Challenges and Opportunities. White Paper, Nov. 2024, https://www.altasciences.com/sites/default/files/2024-11/The-Altascientist-issue-42-GLP-1-Drug-Development.pdf.
5. United States Pharmacopoeia. “GLP-1 Reference Standards.” USP Biologics, 2025, https://www.usp.org/biologics/peptides/glp1s.
6. Xu, Y., Drucker, D. J., Traverso, G., and Beloqui, A. “Innovative Molecules and Delivery Technologies for GLP-1 Therapies.” Endocrine Reviews, Oxford Academic, 2025, https://academic.oup.com/edrv/advance-article/doi/10.1210/endrev/bnaf027/8221663.
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