Findings from the SYNCHRONIZE-1 trial suggest that survodutide may improve body composition in people with obesity by reducing visceral and liver fat while preserving lean body mass, highlighting its potential in obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.
In this interview with touchENDOCRINOLOGY at the 2026 European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting, Professor Kirsi Pietiläinen (Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland) discusses the latest findings from the SYNCHRONIZE-1 trial of survodutide, a dual glucagon and GLP-1 receptor agonist. She explores the effects of treatment on body weight, visceral fat, and liver fat, the potential role of glucagon receptor activation in people with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and the key questions that remain regarding its clinical use.
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What are the key findings from the SYNCHRONIZE-1 study?
I am presenting some very interesting body composition data from the SYNCHRONIZE-1 trial at this Congress. This was a study of survodutide, a first-in-class glucagon and GLP-1 receptor agonist, in which we investigated two different doses, 3.6 and 6 mg. Participants lost approximately 16–18% of their body weight and showed substantial improvements in liver fat, with reductions of up to 63% in those receiving survodutide 6 mg.
What do the results tell us about the potential of glucagon/GLP-1 dual agonism in obesity and type 2 diabetes?
What we need to understand from these new trials and molecules is that we are looking for not only good weight loss, but also beneficial changes in body composition. We want fat to be removed from harmful locations, such as visceral and liver fat, without losing muscle. This is really what the survodutide trial showed us. Visceral fat and liver fat decreased, while the loss of lean body mass was minimal.
What insights have the SYNCHRONIZE studies provided into the role of glucagon receptor activation?
Glucagon is a really interesting hormone, and it might have beneficial effects in addition to GLP-1 receptor agonism. Glucagon helps release fat from the liver, and that may be one of its main benefits. Therefore, people with high liver fat, including those with MASLD or MASH, might particularly benefit from drugs like survodutide.
What are the key questions that remain about the clinical use of survodutide?
Several upcoming trials are expected to report results soon. The cardiovascular outcomes trials will be particularly interesting, and there are many other subpopulations being studied. I’m really looking forward to seeing all these important studies published.
Cite: Kirsi Pietiläinen. Survodutide and metabolic health: Findings from SYNCHRONIZE-1. touchENDOCRINOLOGY. November 2026.
Disclosure: No funding was received in the publication of this content. Thank you to Professor Kirsi Pietiläinen for sharing her expert insights. Professor Kirsi Pietiläinen has received consultancy fees and served on advisory boards for Boehringer Ingelheim, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca. She has received research funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation and honoraria from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly and Company, GSK, Lundbeck, MSD, Novo Nordisk, Orion and UCB. She has also participated in speakers’ bureaus for AstraZeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Eli Lilly & Company, GSK, Lundbeck, MSD, Novo Nordisk, Orion, UCB.
Interviewer: Caroline Markham
Editor: Carla Junkier
touchENDOCRINOLOGY coverage of EASD Congress 2026: This content has been developed independently by Touch Medical Media for touchENDOCRINOLOGY. It is not affiliated with EASD. Views expressed are the speaker’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Touch Medical Media.
