NA-931 vs Efpeglenatide
Comprehensive side-by-side comparison of mechanisms, dosing, side effects, and research
Also: Bioglutide, cyclic glycine-proline
NA-931 (Bioglutide) is cyclic glycine-proline, a two-amino-acid ring that occurs naturally as a breakdown product of IGF-1. Its developer, Biomed Industries, describes it as an oral once-daily agonist at four receptors at once - IGF-1, GLP-1, GIP and glucagon - and has reported 13 to 15 percent weight loss in a 126-person Phase 2 trial. Those numbers have only ever appeared in conference abstracts, never in a peer-reviewed paper, and no trial results have been filed to ClinicalTrials.gov. The same molecule is already sold as a consumer brain-health supplement and as a Sigma-Aldrich catalogue chemical, which makes it unusually cheap to source and unusually hard to verify.
Also: Eppe, HM11260C
Efpeglenatide is a long-acting, once-weekly GLP-1 agonist from Hanmi Pharmaceutical, made by linking an exendin-4 analog to an antibody fragment so it lasts days instead of hours. Sanofi licensed it for diabetes in 2015 and handed it back in 2020 despite a positive heart outcomes trial. Hanmi relaunched it for obesity, and on 7 October 2026 South Korea approved it as Eppe, the country's first homegrown GLP-1 obesity drug. It is not approved by the FDA or EMA.
Key Comparison Insights
- Both peptides belong to the Weight Loss category, suggesting similar primary applications.
Detailed Comparison
| Attribute | NA-931 | Efpeglenatide |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Weight Loss | Weight Loss |
| FDA Status | Not FDA Approved | Not FDA Approved |
| Clinical Status | Pre I II III IV FDA | Pre I II III IV FDA |
| Mechanism of Action | Cyclic glycine-proline is a diketopiperazine: glycine and proline joined into a small ring, 154 daltons, roughly a thirtieth the size of tirzepatide or retatrutide. The independent literature, mostly from Jian Guan's group in Auckland, describes a single mechanism: cGP competes with IGF-1 for binding to IGFBP-3, which frees up IGF-1 that was otherwise bound and inactive. That is a bioavailability effect, studied for stroke recovery, Parkinson's and blood pressure rather than for weight. Biomed's own patent filing (WO2025160184A1) goes much further, claiming the same molecule is a 'quadruple receptor agonist' at IGF-1, GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors. That claim is worth understanding properly, because it is the entire basis of the weight-loss story. GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors are class B GPCRs, the kind that normally need a thirty-plus residue peptide wrapping into the receptor's binding groove to switch on. A 154-dalton ring activating all three would be a genuinely significant pharmacological finding. No independent group has reported it. Searching PubMed for cyclic glycine-proline alongside GLP-1 returns nothing at all. | Efpeglenatide activates the GLP-1 receptor, which raises insulin release after meals, lowers glucagon, slows stomach emptying and reduces appetite. The active part is an exendin-4 analog (the same parent peptide as exenatide and lixisenatide) attached through a small linker to a human IgG4 Fc fragment, using Hanmi's LAPSCOVERY platform. The Fc piece makes the molecule big enough to dodge kidney clearance and lets it recycle in the body, which stretches its half-life to weekly dosing. Hanmi argues its lower brain penetration explains the milder GI profile; that is a company argument rather than an independently proven fact. |
| Common Dosing | 120 mg daily, oral Once daily | 10 mg once weekly maintenance (Korean label) Once weekly |
| Administration | Oral capsule or tablet, once daily | Subcutaneous auto-injector once weekly |
| Typical Duration | 28 days in Phase 1, 13 weeks in Phase 2 | Long-term (chronic weight management); 40-64 weeks in the Korean phase 3 |
| Best Time to Take | Consistent daily timing | Same day each week |
Possible Side Effects May vary by individual |
|
|
| Research Summary | There are no peer-reviewed publications on NA-931. Not one. Everything in circulation is a conference abstract, and the abstracts carrying the efficacy numbers list Biomed's CEO as sole author with conflicts declared as 'None'. Two trials have completed, both run entirely in Australia: a 74-person Phase 1 (NCT06615700, completed September 2024) and a 126-person Phase 2 (NCT06564753, completed April 2025). Neither has results posted. A third trial (NCT06732245) would run in the US, Australia and New Zealand, but has not started recruiting. The reported weight loss is where this gets difficult. The same 126-person Phase 2 has been presented three times with three different numbers: 14.8 percent at ADA in June 2025, 13.8 percent at ENDO in July, and 13.8 percent with a different placebo-adjusted figure in a September press release. Enrolment is given as 125 in the abstracts against 126 on the registry. A result that moves between presentations is not yet a result. The company's website states NA-931 is in Phase 3. No Phase 3 trial for NA-931 is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. The announcement traces to a single paid newswire release in January 2026, syndicated into around twenty local newspaper press-release sections, which reads like broad coverage but is one purchased placement. | The strongest data come from Sanofi's AMPLITUDE-O trial (NEJM 2021), which enrolled people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular or kidney disease. Efpeglenatide 4 or 6 mg weekly cut major cardiovascular events by 27% versus placebo (7.0% vs 9.2%, hazard ratio 0.73) over a median of 1.8 years, and also reduced kidney outcomes. Sanofi still returned the rights in 2020 for business reasons. Hanmi then ran a Korean phase 3 obesity trial in 448 adults without diabetes (average BMI 32): at 40 weeks, weight loss was 9.02% versus 0.89% on placebo, and 75.1% lost at least 5%. That is less weight loss than semaglutide or tirzepatide in their pivotal trials, though trial designs differ, and GI side effects were somewhat lower (diarrhea 17.6%, nausea 16.6%, vomiting 11.6%). Korea's MFDS approved it for chronic weight management on 7 October 2026, with launch planned for late October. Bottom line: a solid, proven drug class member with real outcome data, but modest weight loss and no Western approval. |
Frequently Asked Questions: NA-931 vs Efpeglenatide
What is the difference between NA-931 and Efpeglenatide?
NA-931 is a weight loss peptide that na-931 (bioglutide) is cyclic glycine-proline, a two-amino-acid ring that occurs naturally as a breakdown product of igf-1. its developer, biomed industries, describes it as an oral once-daily agonist at four receptors at once - igf-1, glp-1, gip and glucagon - and has reported 13 to 15 percent weight loss in a 126-person phase 2 trial. those numbers have only ever appeared in conference abstracts, never in a peer-reviewed paper, and no trial results have been filed to clinicaltrials.gov. the same molecule is already sold as a consumer brain-health supplement and as a sigma-aldrich catalogue chemical, which makes it unusually cheap to source and unusually hard to verify. Efpeglenatide is a weight loss peptide that efpeglenatide is a long-acting, once-weekly glp-1 agonist from hanmi pharmaceutical, made by linking an exendin-4 analog to an antibody fragment so it lasts days instead of hours. sanofi licensed it for diabetes in 2015 and handed it back in 2020 despite a positive heart outcomes trial. hanmi relaunched it for obesity, and on 7 october 2026 south korea approved it as eppe, the country's first homegrown glp-1 obesity drug. it is not approved by the fda or ema. The main differences lie in their mechanisms of action and clinical applications.
Which is better, NA-931 or Efpeglenatide?
Neither is universally "better" - the choice depends on your specific goals. NA-931 is typically used for weight loss purposes, while Efpeglenatide is used for weight loss. Always consult with a healthcare provider to determine which may be appropriate for your situation.
Can NA-931 and Efpeglenatide be used together?
Some peptide protocols combine multiple compounds for synergistic effects. However, using NA-931 and Efpeglenatide together should only be considered under medical supervision, as both compounds have their own side effect profiles and potential interactions. Research on their combined use may be limited.