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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
A once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist called avexitide cut severe hypoglycemia events by 55% in gastric bypass patients, according to phase 3 trial results. Post-bariatric hypoglycemia currently has no FDA-approved treatment, making this a potentially landmark development. Manufacturer Amylyx Pharmaceuticals plans to file for FDA approval by end of 2026.
A first-in-class GLP-1 receptor agonist may finally offer relief for a serious and underrecognized complication of gastric bypass surgery. Avexitide, developed by Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, significantly reduced dangerous hypoglycemic episodes in adults who had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass — and there are currently zero FDA-approved therapies for this condition.
The phase 3 LUCIDITY trial enrolled 78 adults randomized to once-daily subcutaneous avexitide 90 mg or placebo for 16 weeks. The drug works by counteracting the exaggerated GLP-1 response thought to drive post-bariatric hypoglycemia. The safety profile was reassuring, with mostly mild-to-moderate side effects — including diarrhea and injection site reactions — and no serious adverse events reported.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Level 2 and level 3 hypoglycemic events can cause seizures, loss of consciousness, and life-threatening emergencies. With no approved treatments currently available, avexitide could become the first therapy to meaningfully protect the growing population of gastric bypass patients from this debilitating complication.
