Diabetes UK estimates that almost 6 million people in the UK are living with diabetes: over 4.7 million with a diagnosis and almost 1.3 million with type 2 who have not yet been diagnosed. Around 8% of diagnosed cases are type 1. Worldwide, the International Diabetes Federation counted 589 million adults with diabetes in 2024 and projects 853 million by 2050.
Peptides are not new to this condition, because insulin itself is a peptide hormone. This page keeps the latest news in one place, then covers the breakthroughs and setbacks since 2023, including the promising programmes that stopped, with the documented reason where one exists, along with trials running now and what is planned. The history from insulin to the newer gut hormone drugs, and the earlier research on type 1, nerves, eyes and feet, is on its own history page.
Latest news
13 October 2026
MHRA authorises once-weekly insulin efsitora alfa
The UK regulator licenses Onswik for adults with type 2 diabetes, following NICE's August guidance.
23 July 2026
Lilly reports retatrutide TRIUMPH-2 and TRIUMPH-3
Up to 20.8% weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes and up to 22.6% in people with severe obesity and heart disease, at 80 weeks.
10 April 2026
Diamyd stops the DIAGNODE-3 trial
The type 1 diabetes GAD vaccine trial is discontinued for futility after an interim analysis.
24 November 2025
Semaglutide fails in the EVOKE Alzheimer's trials
Oral semaglutide did not slow Alzheimer's disease progression in 3,808 people.
Breakthroughs and setbacks since 2023
Trying to stop or reverse type 1 diabetes
27 March and 10 April 2026
Diamyd: the GAD vaccine trial stopped for futility
Diamyd Medical's retogatein is a recombinant GAD65 protein, an antigen that the immune system attacks in type 1 diabetes, given into a lymph node. The company's earlier phase 2b trial had shown an effect in people with the HLA DR3-DQ2 gene type, about 40% of patients. A planned interim analysis of the phase 3 DIAGNODE-3 trial, on 174 of 321 participants followed to month 15, found no clinically meaningful effect on C-peptide in the overall group or in any pre-specified subgroup, including the one that had looked most promising. HbA1c and time in range did not differ either, and no new safety concerns were found.
The company called the result highly unexpected and not consistent with its earlier data. It stopped the trial on 10 April 2026, began a strategic review, and said it would unblind the data to understand the outcome.
20 June 2025
Not a peptide: lab grown islet cells let 10 of 12 people stop insulin
The New England Journal of Medicine publishes the phase 1 and 2 trial of zimislecel, stem cell derived islet cells infused into the liver's portal vein. Of 12 people who received the full dose and were followed for a year, 10 were not using insulin at day 365. Neutropenia was the most common serious adverse event, in 3 people, and recipients need immunosuppressive drugs. A phase 3 trial of 50 people is under way.
Controlling blood sugar, weight and the heart
24 May 2024 and 11 July 2024
FLOW: semaglutide slows kidney disease in type 2 diabetes
The FLOW trial randomised 3,533 people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease to weekly semaglutide 1 mg or placebo. It was stopped early for efficacy after a median 3.4 years. Major kidney events, a composite of kidney failure, a sustained fall in kidney function of at least 50%, or death from kidney or cardiovascular causes, occurred in 331 people on semaglutide and 410 on placebo (hazard ratio 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.66 to 0.88, p = 0.0003). Serious adverse events were reported by 49.6% on semaglutide and 53.8% on placebo.
June and September 2025
Mazdutide, a glucagon and GLP-1 peptide, is approved in China
China's drug regulator approves mazdutide for weight management in June 2025 and for type 2 diabetes in September 2025, the first dual glucagon and GLP-1 receptor agonist approved anywhere. In the DREAMS-2 trial against dulaglutide, 28 week weight changes were minus 6.55% and minus 8.53% on mazdutide 4 and 6 mg and minus 2.77% on dulaglutide, as reported by the company. Both phase 3 diabetes trials were published in Nature.
21 May and 23 July 2026
Retatrutide, a triple agonist, reports its phase 3 results
Retatrutide acts on the GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. Eli Lilly reports that in TRIUMPH-1, 2,339 adults with obesity and without diabetes lost an average of 28.3% of body weight on the 12 mg dose at 80 weeks by one analysis, and 25.0% by another, against 3.9% on placebo. Nausea affected 42.4% of people on the top dose. In TRIUMPH-2, 1,152 adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity lost 12.7%, 19.1% and 20.8% on 4, 9 and 12 mg. Dysesthesia, an abnormal skin sensation, was reported in up to 8% of treated people in TRIUMPH-2, against under 1.3% on placebo. These are company topline results and have not yet been peer reviewed.
20 August and 13 October 2026
A once-weekly insulin is licensed in the UK
NICE publishes final draft guidance on 20 August 2026 recommending insulin efsitora alfa (Onswik) as an option for adults with type 2 diabetes. Trial evidence reviewed by NICE showed it controls blood glucose as well as insulin degludec and insulin glargine over 26 to 52 weeks, with one injection a week instead of one a day. The MHRA authorised it on 13 October 2026. Hypoglycaemia is the most common adverse reaction.
Eye disease and sight loss
6 June 2025
Regulators add a very rare optic nerve condition to semaglutide labels
After two large Danish register studies raised a signal, the European Medicines Agency's safety committee concluded that non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, a cause of sudden vision loss in one eye, is a very rare side effect of semaglutide, affecting up to 1 in 10,000 people. Large studies in adults with type 2 diabetes suggested roughly a two-fold higher risk. Diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity are themselves risk factors for the condition. Novo Nordisk concluded the data did not suggest a causal relationship.
Stomach, and the brain
24 November 2025
Semaglutide does not slow Alzheimer's disease in EVOKE and EVOKE+
Because diabetes drugs were linked to brain health in earlier data, Novo Nordisk tested oral semaglutide 14 mg for two years in 3,808 people with early Alzheimer's disease. It did not reduce progression on the Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes score compared with placebo, although some Alzheimer's biomarkers improved. The company cancelled the one year extensions.
Earlier research is on the history page.
Trials running now
Active, not recruiting; ends February 2027
FOCUS: semaglutide and diabetic retinopathy
Novo Nordisk's post-authorisation safety study FOCUS (NCT03811561) compares semaglutide with placebo on retinopathy progression in people with type 2 diabetes. It started in May 2019, planned 1,467 participants across 10 EU and EEA countries, and is expected to conclude in February 2027.
Phase 3 under way
Retatrutide: diabetes, heart and kidney trials still to report
Lilly says cardiovascular and renal outcomes studies and further diabetes readouts under its TRANSCEND-T2D programme are still pending.
Phase 3 under way
Zimislecel and mazdutide
Vertex's phase 3 trial of zimislecel (not a peptide) is expected to include 50 people. Innovent reports four further phase 3 trials of mazdutide still ongoing, including one against semaglutide in China (company reported).
What comes next
First quarter of 2027
Retatrutide US filing
Lilly says it plans to submit a Biologics License Application for retatrutide to the FDA in the first quarter of 2027, once its manufacturing package is complete.
To be reported
The full DIAGNODE-3 analysis
Diamyd says it will unblind the DIAGNODE-3 data and run a full analysis, then assess whether its GAD immunotherapy programme has a future.
Expected 2026, filing not confirmed
Zimislecel regulatory submission
Vertex said in 2025 that it expected to submit zimislecel for regulatory approval in 2026. We have not found a confirmed filing as of 5 November 2026.