It seems like everyone is talking about GLP-1s now. Research into the popular drugs is happening locally in a Duke University lab.
"I always wanted to study and sort of devote a career to something people care about," said Jonathan Campbell, a Duke University associate professor of medicine. "But I don’t think I could’ve predicted they would’ve been this impactful."
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Campbell's research has contributed to several advancements in the field of the drugs initially used for diabetes, now popularized for weight loss. In its simplest form, Campbell's research has helped scientists better understand how the drugs work, through studying GLP-1s and GIPs, both incretin hormones.
"I think some of the newest stuff that we’re doing right now that I’m most excited about is talking about how each GLP-1 drug that is currently available and those that are coming in the pipeline are different," he explained. "And why is that important? Because it’s not going to be a one size fits all for GLP1 drugs."
Campbell notes that although GLP-1s are newly popular, research into them dates back roughly 40 years.
And there is still a lot more to study.
"There’s a lot of work to do to understand what’s safe, what’s efficacious, how do we minimize side effects, and how do we match the right drug to the right person," he said.
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