Endoluminal device induces insulin sensitivity and greater weight control than semaglutide in pigs.
Semaglutide just got some serious competition in a pig study out of Italy. Researchers tested an endoluminal device—a sleeve that lines the gut—against semaglutide, the well-known peptide that’s been making headlines for its effects on weight and glucose control. The results? The device beat semaglutide for both insulin sensitivity and weight management.
Gut
by Russo S, Galvao Neto M, Previti E et al.
“Endoluminal device induces insulin sensitivity and greater weight control than semaglutide in pigs. Russo S(1), Galvao Neto M(2), Previti E(3), Bove V(4), Mingrone G(5)(6), Boskoski I(7). Author information: (1)Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Rome, Lazio, Italy. (2)Bariatric Endoscopy, Orlando Health Central Hospital, Ocoee, Florida, USA. (3)Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy. (4)Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Lazio, Italy. (5)Internal Medicine, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, London, Italy. (6)Diabetes, King's College London School of Medical Education, London, London, UK. (7)Digestive Endoscopy Unit, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Rome, Lazio, Italy ivo.boskoski@policlinicogemelli.it. Conflict of interest statement: Competing interests: IB reports consulting fees from Apollo, Endosurgery, AndoTools, Nitinotes, Erbe Elektromedizin, Boston Scientific, Cook Medical and Pentax Medical. GM has received consulting fees from Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Fractyl and Recor. She also serves as a Scientific Advisor for Keyron, Metadeq, GHP Scientific and Jemyll. GA has received consulting fees from Metadeq. FR has received research grants from Ethicon and Medtronic; consulting fees from Novo Nordisk, Ethicon and Medtronic and serves on scientific advisory boards for GI Dynamics and Keyron. MGN reports consulting fees from Apollo EndoSurgery, USGI and Keyron. He is also a Scientific Advisor of Keyron and Morphic Medical. VB reports consulting fees from Apollo EndoSurgery. Other authors declare no competing interests.”
Here’s the quick breakdown. Pigs got either the gut device or semaglutide. The device group showed bigger improvements in insulin sensitivity—meaning their bodies handled sugar better. They also lost more weight compared to the semaglutide group. It’s a head-to-head win for the mechanical approach, at least in this early-stage animal research.
Why does this matter for peptide research? A few reasons:
Semaglutide is the gold standard for GLP-1-based research on metabolism and weight loss.
Seeing a device outperform it suggests untapped potential when combining physical and biochemical interventions.
More models like this set a high bar for future peptide innovation—researchers will need to think outside the injectable box.
It’s not a knock on semaglutide. Far from it. The peptide remains a powerhouse in metabolic research, and this study just expands the toolkit. For researchers, it’s another reminder to keep pushing boundaries and consider all angles. The endoluminal device isn’t on the market yet, and the study’s in pigs—not humans—but it’s proof that the peptide field isn’t static.
Curious about sourcing semaglutide for your own research? Check our vendor directory for vetted suppliers. The competition’s heating up, and that’s good news for everyone in the peptide space.
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