Oral small-molecule GLP-1 drugs penetrate deep into the brain to suppress cravings

A study has found that an emerging class of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs suppresses eating for pleasure, or hedonic feeding, in mice by modulating a reward circuit deep within the brain. This newly charted pathway—separate from previously described mechanisms that broadly affect appetite—could be an avenue by which GLP-1s treat other dysfunctions in reward processing, such as substance use disorder.