Efinopegdutide Reference
Educational, not medical advice reference for Efinopegdutide: GLP-1, Fat Loss; regulatory status, evidence posture, source review, and schedule…
Plain English
- What it is
- Efinopegdutide (also called MK-6024) is an experimental injected medicine that turns on two body signals at once, GLP-1 and glucagon, which help control appetite, blood sugar, and how the body handles fat. It is being developed by Merck and is not approved by the FDA. There is no brand-name product, so anything sold online claiming to be it is not the real trial drug.
- What people use it for
- In company-run studies it is mainly being tested for fatty liver disease (now called MASH or MASLD) and for weight and metabolic health. It is only available inside clinical trials, not as a product people can buy.
- What the science shows
- In one mid-stage human trial in adults with fatty liver, it was compared head-to-head against semaglutide over several months and led to a larger drop in liver fat. This is early evidence from a small study, not final proof.
- The catch
- It is still experimental, with no late-stage (Phase 3) testing currently underway, so its long-term safety and real-world benefits are not yet established. Stomach and gut side effects were more common with it than with semaglutide, which is typical for this class of medicine.
Reference summary
Romero-Gomez 2023 J Hepatol (Phase IIa, active-comparator-controlled, n=145 adults with NAFLD/MASH, 24 weeks) compared efinopegdutide once weekly subcutaneous vs once-weekly semaglutide and reported larger relative reductions in liver fat content with efinopegdutide. Dose-dependent gastrointestinal adverse events were consistent with the GLP-1 / glucagon class.
Regulatory and posture
- Categories
- GLP-1, Fat Loss
- Aliases
- MK-6024, HM12525A, GLP-1 / glucagon dual receptor agonist
- Evidence posture
- human - Phase IIa active-comparator data exist; no Phase 3 program is currently active. Efinopegdutide remains investigational.
- Regulatory status
- Investigational. Efinopegdutide is a GLP-1 / glucagon dual receptor agonist licensed by Merck from Hanmi Pharmaceutical with Phase 2 programs in NAFLD/MASH and obesity. There is no FDA-approved drug label.
- Content review status
- investigational verified
Selected public sources
- ClinicalTrials.gov efinopegdutide (MK-6024) trial search
- PubMed: Romero-Gomez et al. J Hepatol 2023 - phase IIa active-comparator-controlled study of efinopegdutide in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (PMID 37355043)
Related tools
- Semaglutide dose calculator - Run semaglutide-focused vial draw math.
- GLP-1 conversion calculator - Convert a GLP-1 mg dose to U-100 units and ml.
- GLP-1 ramp planner - Preview a linear educational dose-step table.
- Peptide half-life calculator - Estimate single-dose decay from cited half-life constants.
- PK simulator overview - Public overview of the Pro pharmacokinetic simulator.
- GLP-1 taper planner overview - Public overview of the Pro GLP-1 taper planner.
For research and educational purposes only. Not medical advice.