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A newly listed trial in Canada will test whether adding exercise to a newly started GLP-1 drug improves insulin resistance and brain health in adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
A completed Phase 2 study at a Chinese hospital compared BGM0504 with semaglutide in 60 adults with obesity; results have not been posted.
Two GLP-1 trials were newly listed this week, and both speak to questions patients ask often. One looks at whether exercise adds real value on top of a GLP-1 drug. The other, already finished, compared a Chinese GLP-1 candidate directly with semaglutide, the drug most people recognize by name. Neither trial has posted results yet, but the setup of each one tells you what researchers think patients want answered.
The first trial focuses on adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes who are starting a GLP-1 drug such as Ozempic or Mounjaro. Researchers at the University of Regina in Canada want to know if adding a structured exercise program improves insulin resistance, the study's main measure, along with brain health, beyond what the medication delivers on its own. This matters because GLP-1 drugs are often discussed purely in terms of pounds lost, and this 110-person study asks broader questions about metabolism and thinking. Weight is not one of its listed outcomes. The trial is not yet recruiting, so no timeline for results exists yet. If you are starting a GLP-1 drug for diabetes, this study may eventually clarify whether adding exercise brings measurable benefit beyond your prescription.
The second trial, run by the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in China, compared BGM0504, a newer GLP-1 drug, directly with semaglutide in 60 adults with obesity in a Phase 2 study. Semaglutide is the compound behind Ozempic and Wegovy, so this comparison sets a high bar for any newcomer. The study began in April 2024 and is now listed as completed, but it was only registered in September 2026 and its results have not been posted. A strong showing from BGM0504 could give patients and prescribers a new option to weigh against semaglutide, particularly if cost or availability becomes a factor. For now, how the two drugs compared remains unknown until the results are published.
Neither trial changes anything about current prescribing today, since neither has published results. Patients on GLP-1 therapy for diabetes or obesity do not need to alter their treatment based on either study alone. It is reasonable to ask your prescriber whether exercise programs are recommended alongside your current medication, and to ask whether new options like BGM0504 might become relevant to your care once results are published. Watching how these two trials progress over time is a sensible way to stay informed without acting on incomplete information.
Originally published on GLP1Laws.
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