Survodutide (BI 456906) is a synthetic, fatty-acid-conjugated long-acting peptide developed by Boehringer Ingelheim in partnership with Zealand Pharma as a dual agonist of the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. Where GLP-1-only compounds act chiefly on appetite and insulin pathways, the addition of glucagon-receptor agonism in Survodutide is studied as a mechanism for raising energy expenditure and mobilising hepatic fat — a combination that has made it one of the most closely watched research compounds for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
Survodutide (BI 456906) is a once-weekly dual agonist of the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors developed by Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma. In a Phase 2 obesity dose-finding trial (Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2024; n=386, 46 weeks) it produced up to ~19% mean body-weight reduction, with up to ~40% of participants on the top doses achieving ≥20% loss. In a Phase 2 MASH trial (NEJM, 2024; biopsy-confirmed MASH with F1–F3 fibrosis) it improved MASH without worsening fibrosis in 47% (2.4 mg), 62% (4.8 mg) and 43% (6.0 mg) of participants versus 14% on placebo — data that earned it FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for MASH (2024) and a Phase 3 programme. Its differentiator is the glucagon arm, which raises energy expenditure and drives hepatic lipid mobilisation. It is supplied as a lyophilised powder reconstituted with bacteriostatic water and remains an investigational compound for in vitro research use only — not approved for human use. Research-grade Survodutide is available from RS Bio Labs in three strengths at ≥99% purity; see the buy Survodutide UK page.
Survodutide, known by its developer code BI 456906, is a synthetic long-acting peptide engineered to activate two distinct metabolic receptors simultaneously: the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and the glucagon receptor (GCGR). Because it engages both, it is described in the literature as a "dual agonist" or "GLP-1/glucagon co-agonist", placing it in the same mechanistic family as Mazdutide and one generation beyond single GLP-1 agonists such as Semaglutide.
What has set Survodutide apart in metabolic research is not weight loss alone but its effect on the liver. The unifying idea behind its design is that the GLP-1 arm reduces energy intake (appetite suppression, slowed gastric emptying, glucose-dependent insulin secretion), while the glucagon arm increases energy expenditure and mobilises hepatic lipid (raising resting metabolic rate and driving fatty-acid oxidation in the liver). It is this second, hepatic-facing mechanism that has produced Survodutide's most striking published results in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis — a fatty-liver disease with a high unmet research need.
As of 2026 Survodutide is an investigational compound in Phase 3 development (the SYNCHRONIZE obesity programme and a dedicated Phase 3 MASH trial) and is not approved by any regulator. RS Bio Labs supplies it strictly as a research reagent for in vitro laboratory work. Researchers looking to buy Survodutide in the UK can obtain it in three strengths, each third-party HPLC tested to ≥99% purity.
Survodutide is the product of a collaboration between Boehringer Ingelheim and the Danish peptide specialist Zealand Pharma. Zealand contributed the underlying dual GLP-1/glucagon co-agonist chemistry, while Boehringer Ingelheim has driven the clinical development programme. The scientific lineage runs from native glucagon and glucagon-like peptide-1 — two closely related gut and pancreatic hormones with very short half-lives — through the recognition that a single, balanced co-agonist molecule could harness both pathways at once.
The compound is a fatty-acid-conjugated peptide engineered for a long duration of action. The design rationale is that pairing glucagon-receptor agonism with GLP-1-receptor agonism allows the metabolic-rate and hepatic-lipid benefits of glucagon signalling to be captured while the insulinotropic GLP-1 arm offsets the tendency of glucagon to raise blood glucose. This balance is central to why a glucagon-containing molecule can be developed for metabolic disease rather than causing hyperglycaemia.
Early-phase clinical work established the compound's tolerability and a duration of action compatible with a once-weekly schedule, alongside a gradual dose-escalation approach to manage the gastrointestinal effects characteristic of the incretin class. These data set the stage for the Phase 2 programme across obesity and MASH, and subsequently the Phase 3 SYNCHRONIZE obesity trials (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06066515) and a dedicated Phase 3 MASH trial that are ongoing today.
Survodutide is a single peptide molecule that binds and activates two structurally related class B G-protein-coupled receptors. Each sits at a different node of the energy-balance and hepatic-metabolism network, and the combined agonism produces a metabolic phenotype distinct from a GLP-1-only compound. Receptor activity has been tuned to preserve metabolic synergy — appetite and glycaemic control from the GLP-1 arm, energy expenditure and hepatic lipid handling from the glucagon arm.
The glucagon arm is the crux of the design. In isolation, glucagon-receptor activation raises blood glucose and mobilises hepatic energy stores — the former undesirable, the latter potentially valuable for fatty liver. Pairing it with potent GLP-1 activity allows the insulin-promoting arm to offset the glycaemic effect, so the metabolic-rate benefit and, critically, the reduction of hepatic fat can be pursued while glycaemic control is maintained or improved. The molecule itself is a fatty-acid-conjugated long-acting peptide; the fatty-acid tail promotes reversible binding to serum albumin, which is what gives Survodutide its extended, once-weekly duration of action. For a broader treatment of how these pathways differ, see our guide to GLP-1 vs GIP vs glucagon agonists.
Survodutide's clinical evidence base spans obesity and, most notably, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. The two landmark Phase 2 readouts are summarised below, followed by the individual trial cards. The MASH data in particular are what set Survodutide apart from the broader incretin class.
| Trial / population | Publication | n | Headline result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 2 · Obesity (dose-finding) | Lancet Diab. Endo., 2024 | 386 | Up to ~19% mean weight reduction at 46 wk; up to ~40% achieved ≥20% loss (top doses) |
| Phase 2 · MASH + fibrosis (F1–F3) | NEJM, 2024 | 293 | MASH improvement without worsening fibrosis: 47% (2.4 mg), 62% (4.8 mg), 43% (6.0 mg) vs 14% placebo |
Survodutide's defining pharmacokinetic feature is a long duration of action supporting a once-weekly research schedule. This is a consequence of the molecule's fatty-acid conjugation, which drives reversible binding to serum albumin. Albumin binding acts as a circulating reservoir, slows renal clearance, and shields the peptide from rapid proteolytic degradation — the same design principle used across the modern long-acting incretin class.
Because it is dosed at approximately one half-life intervals, plasma concentrations accumulate over successive administrations and approach steady state after several half-lives — on the order of a few weeks. This accumulation behaviour, combined with the gastrointestinal tolerability profile of GLP-1/glucagon agonism, is the reason published protocols use gradual dose escalation: titrating upward over several weeks allows tolerance to the gastrointestinal effects to develop as concentrations rise. This titration is why the Phase 2 trials tested a ladder of maintenance doses (for example 2.4, 4.8 and 6.0 mg).
| Parameter | Value (approx.) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Duration of action | ~Weekly | Fatty-acid/albumin driven |
| Research schedule | Once weekly | ~1 half-life dosing interval |
| Time to steady state | ~Several weeks | ~4–5 half-lives |
| Dose escalation | Gradual (weeks) | Manages GI tolerability |
| Elimination | Proteolysis + renal | Slowed by albumin binding |
As a lyophilised (freeze-dried) powder, Survodutide is highly stable. Removing water from the formulation dramatically slows the chemical degradation pathways — hydrolysis, deamidation, oxidation and aggregation — that shorten a peptide's shelf life in solution. Sealed, protected from light and kept cool, lyophilised Survodutide retains its integrity over long periods.
Stability falls once the powder is reconstituted. In solution the peptide becomes susceptible to gradual hydrolysis and to physical stresses such as agitation (which can cause aggregation and foaming) and repeated freeze–thaw cycles (which mechanically damage peptide structure). Heat and light accelerate degradation in both states. In practical terms this means the lyophilised vial is the storage-stable form, and the reconstituted solution should be treated as a shorter-lived working stock — see Storage and Reconstitution below.
Correct storage preserves both the mass and the biological integrity of the compound. The guidance below reflects standard best practice for lyophilised research peptides.
| State | Temperature | Approx. shelf life | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyophilised | −20 °C (freezer) | Months to years | Best long-term option; protect from light |
| Lyophilised | 2–8 °C (fridge) | Weeks to months | Fine for medium-term storage |
| Lyophilised | Room temperature | Days (transit) | Tolerates brief shipping periods |
| Reconstituted | 2–8 °C (fridge) | ~4–6 weeks | Bacteriostatic water aids stability; keep dark |
| Reconstituted | Frozen | Avoid | Freeze–thaw degrades the peptide |
Label reconstituted vials with the date of preparation, minimise exposure to light and heat, and avoid repeatedly warming and cooling a working stock. Allow refrigerated vials to return toward room temperature before handling to reduce condensation.
The following describes standard laboratory technique for preparing a research stock solution from a lyophilised vial. It is not guidance for human use of any kind.
Reconstitution simply means dissolving the freeze-dried powder into solution. The standard diluent for a multi-use research vial is bacteriostatic water (water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol, which suppresses microbial growth). You will also need a sterile syringe and alcohol wipes. Technique matters: wipe the vial stopper, draw the chosen volume of bacteriostatic water, and add it slowly down the inner glass wall rather than squirting it directly onto the powder. Let the peptide dissolve, swirl gently, and never shake — agitation causes foaming and can damage the peptide.
Concentration is simply the mass of peptide divided by the volume of water added. Adding more water gives a lower concentration:
| Vial | Bacteriostatic water added | Resulting concentration |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mg | 1 ml | 10 mg/ml |
| 10 mg | 2 ml | 5 mg/ml |
| 15 mg | 1.5 ml | 10 mg/ml |
| 15 mg | 3 ml | 5 mg/ml |
| 20 mg | 2 ml | 10 mg/ml |
Once reconstituted, store the vial refrigerated at 2–8 °C and use it within a few weeks (see Storage). Maintain sterility throughout and label the vial with the concentration and preparation date.
Survodutide sits within the incretin "agonism ladder" as one of the two leading GLP-1/glucagon dual agonists — alongside Mazdutide — distinguished by its strong MASH and liver-fibrosis data. The table below places it against the other most-studied metabolic research peptides by receptor targets and headline trial effect. For the mechanistic detail behind these classes, see GLP-1 vs GIP vs glucagon.
| Compound | Receptor targets | Class | Headline trial effect | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survodutide | GLP-1 + Glucagon | Dual | ~19% wt (Ph2); strong MASH/fibrosis data | Once weekly |
| Mazdutide | GLP-1 + Glucagon | Dual | ~14% (Ph3, 48 wk) | Once weekly |
| Retatrutide | GIP + GLP-1 + Glucagon | Triple | ~24.2% (Ph2, 48 wk) | Once weekly |
| Semaglutide | GLP-1 | Mono | ~15% (Ph3, 68 wk) | Once weekly |
| Tirzepatide | GIP + GLP-1 | Dual | ~22.5% (Ph3, 72 wk) | Once weekly |
Survodutide and Mazdutide are the two GLP-1/glucagon dual agonists in this comparison; both harness the glucagon "energy-out" arm, but Survodutide's defining distinction is the strength of its MASH and liver-fibrosis data, which earned it FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation. The triple agonist Retatrutide adds a third (GIP) target and posts the largest weight-loss figures, while Tirzepatide and Semaglutide anchor the dual GIP/GLP-1 and GLP-1-only ends of the ladder. To compare live pricing and strengths, see the buy Survodutide UK and buy Retatrutide UK pages.
The findings above are drawn from the following peer-reviewed publications and trial registrations. Links open on the publisher or registry site.