Twelve thousand researchers. Hundreds of presentations. Five studies that matter.

Dr. Clete Barrick breaks down the most important GLP-1 research presented at the European Congress on Obesity 2026 in Istanbul, and what each finding means for patients on Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound right now.

He covers the new higher-dose Wegovy data (7.2 mg), the maintenance dosing trial Zepbound patients have been waiting for, what happens when you switch from an injection to an oral pill, the real-world data showing half of patients quit before they get the benefit, and the Viking Therapeutics oral pill that may compete with injectable tirzepatide by 2028.

Each study gets the same three-beat treatment: what happened, why you should care, and what you should do about it.

In this episode:

• STEP UP: Wegovy 7.2 mg delivers 20.7% weight loss, with responders hitting 27.7%
• Medicare BRIDGE program adding Wegovy 7.2 on July 1
• SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN: 5 mg tirzepatide as a legitimate maintenance dose
• Why the dose ladder mental model is wrong
• ATTAIN-MAINTAIN: Switching from Wegovy to oral orforglipron (Foundayo) vs. switching from Zepbound
• Why the GIP receptor matters when you change medications
• Wilding real-world data: 50% discontinuation, dose-dependent metabolic benefits
• The most important variable in GLP-1 treatment (it's not which drug)
• Viking VK2735: 12.2% loss in 13 weeks from an oral dual agonist
• What the pill landscape looks like in 2028

New episodes weekly. Subscribe and visit barrickhealth.com for physician-led GLP-1 care.

Everything discussed in this episode is education, not medical advice for your specific situation. Talk to your prescriber before making changes to your treatment.

LINKS

barrickhealth.com https://www.youtube.com/@BarrickHealth

TAGS/KEYWORDS

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ECO 2026, European Congress on Obesity, STEP UP trial, Wegovy 7.2, SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN, tirzepatide maintenance dose, Zepbound maintenance, ATTAIN-MAINTAIN, orforglipron, Foundayo, Viking VK2735, VENTURE-2, Wilding real-world data, GLP-1 discontinuation, GLP-1 news, oral GLP-1 pill, Medicare BRIDGE program, semaglutide vs tirzepatide, dual agonist, GIP receptor, obesity medicine, Dr. Clete Barrick, Straight Shot podcast

REFERENCES CITED

• STEP UP trial. Higher-dose semaglutide 7.2 mg for obesity. Presented at European Congress on Obesity (ECO) 2026, Istanbul. Novo Nordisk.
• Wadden TA, et al. Tirzepatide for maintenance of weight reduction (SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN). The Lancet. 2026.
• ATTAIN-MAINTAIN trial. Transition from injectable semaglutide or tirzepatide to oral orforglipron. Presented at ECO 2026, Istanbul. Eli Lilly.
• Wilding JPH, et al. Real-world discontinuation and metabolic outcomes of GLP-1 receptor agonists in 90,000 patients (UK/EU). Presented at ECO 2026, Istanbul.
• VENTURE-2 trial. Phase 2 results for oral dual GLP-1/GIP agonist VK2735. Presented at ECO 2026, Istanbul. Viking Therapeutics.
• Medicare BRIDGE Program formulary update, effective July 1, 2026.