A new GLP-1 receptor agonist that requires only one injection every two weeks — rather than the weekly shots required by Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro — has shown strong results in a Phase 2b clinical trial, with meaningful reductions in blood sugar levels and body weight in adults with type 2 diabetes.
The drug, called bofanglutide, is being developed by Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals, a Beijing-based company, and the trial results were published June 30, 2026 in Annals of Internal Medicine. Healthline covered the findings on July 3, 2026.
The study is not a basis for changing current prescribing practice — bofanglutide has no FDA approval, and the trial was conducted exclusively in Chinese patients at Chinese sites, limiting how broadly the findings can be applied to U.S. populations. But the results add to a growing body of evidence that extended-dosing GLP-1 formulations are achievable, and they reflect an accelerating industry-wide race to make these medications more convenient for patients who struggle with weekly injections.
Why This Matters
Adherence is one of the most serious unresolved challenges in GLP-1 therapy. Approximately one-third of patients who start weekly GLP-1 injections discontinue them within a year, with side effects and injection burden among the most commonly cited reasons. For a drug class whose benefits — blood sugar control, weight reduction, cardiovascular protection — are long-term and cumulative, discontinuation means losing those benefits.
Reducing injection frequency is a direct response to this problem. If a drug with similar efficacy requires a shot every two weeks instead of every week, more patients may persist with therapy long enough to experience meaningful clinical benefit. That is the argument for extended-dosing formulations, and it is driving clinical investment from multiple directions simultaneously.
What makes this moment in the GLP-1 pipeline notable is the convergence: a biweekly injectable showing Phase 2b results, a monthly injectable candidate in Phase 2b trials, and multiple oral formulations now in or entering Phase 3. The weekly injection — currently the standard for most GLP-1 users — may not remain the dominant delivery format by the end of the decade.
What We Know So Far: The Bofanglutide Trial
The Phase 2b randomized clinical trial of bofanglutide enrolled 272 adults with type 2 diabetes across 37 sites in China. The average participant age was 50.8 years. Participants were randomly assigned to five treatment groups:
- Three groups receiving bofanglutide biweekly (every two weeks) at titrated doses of 12 mg, 18 mg, or 24 mg
- One group receiving bofanglutide once weekly at 24 mg
- One group receiving semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic) once weekly at 1 mg — the current FDA-approved standard for type 2 diabetes comparison
Primary outcome: HbA1c reduction at 24 weeks
According to 2 Minute Medicine's clinical summary and Medical Dialogues' reporting:
- Similar proportions of patients across all bofanglutide dosing groups and the semaglutide group achieved HbA1c targets of less than 7.0% (63%–75% vs. 70%) and ≤6.5% (58%–69% vs. 62%).
- All groups showed reductions in fasting blood glucose, body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and lipid parameters.
- Gastrointestinal side effects were more common with bofanglutide than with semaglutide, particularly during early dose escalation, though most were mild to moderate.
- Treatment-related adverse events were reported in 97.7% of bofanglutide participants versus 94.4% of semaglutide participants.
- Discontinuation due to adverse events ranged from 7.5% to 18.5% with bofanglutide compared to 14.8% with semaglutide.
- No deaths occurred in either group.
The results suggest that biweekly dosing with bofanglutide can produce HbA1c reductions comparable to weekly semaglutide, with the trade-off of somewhat higher gastrointestinal side effect frequency, particularly early in treatment.
The Broader Pipeline: Monthly and Oral Formulations
Bofanglutide is one thread in a larger GLP-1 convenience race. Several other extended-dosing and non-injectable approaches are in advanced development:
Monthly injectable candidates: The RX Index's GLP-1 clinical trials tracker documents multiple long-acting injectable programs designed for monthly dosing. Pfizer's PF-3944 program has ten Phase 3 trials advancing in 2026. Amgen's MariTide — designed for once-monthly dosing — has Phase 2b data showing up to 12.3% placebo-adjusted weight loss at 28 weeks, with weight loss continuing after a planned switch from weekly to monthly dosing.
Oral GLP-1 pills: The FDA approved Lilly's oral GLP-1 drug orforglipron (brand name Foundayo) on April 1, 2026 — the first oral GLP-1 receptor agonist for weight management that can be taken any time of day without food restrictions. Clinical trials showed an average weight loss of approximately 12.4%, and the drug is already available by prescription. Novo Nordisk is also advancing an oral semaglutide 25 mg tablet and an oral formulation of its amycretin candidate.
Next-generation injectables: Lilly's retatrutide, a triple hormone receptor agonist targeting GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon pathways simultaneously, reported Phase 3 results in May 2026 showing 28.3% weight loss on the highest 12 mg dose at 80 weeks — the largest weight loss from any approved or investigational drug in this class to date. It remains investigational pending FDA review.
Where U.S. Patients Stand Today
Bofanglutide has no FDA approval and no U.S. clinical trial presence at the time of this report. Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals has not publicly announced plans for FDA submission, and the trial conducted in China would need to be replicated — or supplemented with a bridging study — in more diverse populations before the FDA would consider approval for U.S. patients.
Current FDA-approved weekly injectable GLP-1 options include:
- Ozempic (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk) — for type 2 diabetes
- Wegovy (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk) — for chronic weight management
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide, Lilly) — for type 2 diabetes
- Zepbound (tirzepatide, Lilly) — for chronic weight management
- Rybelsus (oral semaglutide, Novo Nordisk) — for type 2 diabetes
- Foundayo (orforglipron, Lilly) — oral, for weight management (approved April 2026)
For patients who struggle specifically with weekly injections, the most practical currently available option is Foundayo (orforglipron) — an oral pill requiring no injection at all.
What the Evidence Shows and What It Does Not
MedicalDaily Evidence Check
- Study type: Phase 2b randomized clinical trial
- Participants: 272 adults with type 2 diabetes, average age 50.8, from 37 sites in China
- Published in: Annals of Internal Medicine , June 30, 2026 ( DOI: 10.7326/ANNALS-25-04623 )
- What it found: Biweekly bofanglutide produced HbA1c reductions and weight loss comparable to weekly semaglutide in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes
- What it did not prove: The trial was not conducted in U.S. or European populations; there is no Phase 3 data; the drug is not FDA-approved; higher gastrointestinal side effect rates than semaglutide were observed; long-term safety is unknown
- What readers should know: This is promising early-stage evidence for a concept (biweekly GLP-1 dosing) that is also being pursued by multiple other companies; the oral option Foundayo is already FDA-approved and available for patients who want to avoid injections entirely
Who Faces the Greatest Benefit From Extended-Dosing Options
Based on current research on GLP-1 adherence challenges:
- Patients with needle phobia or injection anxiety who have delayed starting GLP-1 therapy
- Patients who report forgetting their weekly injection or injecting on the wrong day
- People with irregular weekly schedules — including shift workers, frequent travelers, and caregivers — for whom a consistent weekly schedule is difficult to maintain
- Patients who stopped weekly GLP-1 therapy specifically because of the injection burden
An oral pill eliminates injection entirely and is already available through Foundayo for eligible patients. Extended-dosing injectables, when and if approved, will offer an alternative for those who prefer injectables but want less frequent administration.
Symptoms and What to Watch for in Current GLP-1 Users
This article covers investigational drugs, not a safety alert. However, patients currently on weekly GLP-1 medications should remain aware of the following side effects that may improve — or in some cases intensify — with dose or frequency changes:
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea — most common during dose increases
- Constipation — particularly at higher doses
- Injection-site reactions (redness, bruising, lumps) — manageable with rotating injection sites
- Fatigue during dose escalation
Do not change your GLP-1 dose, injection frequency, or brand without speaking with your prescribing provider first.
What You Can Do Now
- If you are currently on a weekly GLP-1 injectable and struggling with adherence , speak with your prescriber about your specific barrier — whether that is needle anxiety, scheduling difficulty, or side effects. There are already approved alternatives.
- Ask your prescriber about Foundayo (orforglipron) if injection fatigue is your primary challenge. It is FDA-approved, available by prescription, and does not require injection.
- Do not attempt to reduce your own injection frequency from weekly to biweekly without medical guidance. Dosing intervals for approved GLP-1 medications are calibrated for specific pharmacokinetic reasons — altering them without direction can reduce efficacy or create unpredictable absorption.
- Follow clinical trial news through ClinicalTrials.gov if you are interested in participating in extended-dosing GLP-1 research as trials expand.
- Discuss your options openly with your prescriber at your next visit. The GLP-1 landscape is changing quickly, and updated guidance on available drugs, dosing alternatives, and insurance coverage may have changed since your last review.
Cost and Access: What Patients Should Know
Bofanglutide is not available in the United States. No U.S. pricing exists.
Foundayo (orforglipron), the currently FDA-approved oral GLP-1 from Lilly, is available by prescription. Insurance coverage is expanding but not yet universal. Lilly offers a savings card program for commercially insured patients, and patient assistance programs are available for those who qualify based on income.
For patients on current weekly GLP-1 injectables, Novo Nordisk's NovoCare program and Lilly's insulin savings program offer cost reduction options for eligible patients.
What Happens Next
Bofanglutide's Phase 2b data will need to be followed by Phase 3 trials — likely in multiple global populations — before any regulatory submission could proceed. Whether Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals plans to pursue FDA approval separately from other regulatory pathways has not been announced.
More immediately relevant for U.S. patients: Amgen's MariTide (monthly injectable) is expected to report Phase 3 data in 2027; Pfizer's PF-3944 program has 10 active Phase 3 trials; and Lilly's retatrutide is awaiting FDA review following its 28.3% weight loss Phase 3 results.
MedicalDaily will track approvals, Phase 3 results, and insurance coverage changes across the GLP-1 pipeline as they develop.
The Bottom Line
A new biweekly GLP-1 injection called bofanglutide showed results comparable to weekly semaglutide in a Phase 2b trial — but the drug has no FDA approval, was tested only in Chinese patients, and is years away from U.S. availability at best. The more immediately relevant development for patients struggling with weekly injections is the already-approved oral GLP-1 option, Foundayo.
The broader pipeline — biweekly injectables, monthly injectables, once-daily oral pills — reflects an industry-wide push to solve the adherence problem that limits GLP-1 therapy's real-world effectiveness. Talk with your prescribing provider about what options are currently available and right for your situation.
