Future GLP-1 Research Depends on Better Data

At the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, emerging real-world data suggested an association between glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist use and improved overall survival across multiple cancer types, raising important questions about how these agents may influence cancer outcomes.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology™, Jessica Paulus, ScD, of Ontada, discusses one of the key limitations of the study: accurately capturing the timing and duration of GLP-1 therapy. Although the analysis found that many patients appeared to initiate GLP-1 treatment after their cancer diagnosis, Paulus explains that the oncology electronic health record (EHR) used for the study is not designed to comprehensively capture medications prescribed outside the oncology setting.

She notes that GLP-1 receptor agonists are commonly prescribed by primary care physicians and may also be obtained through telehealth or direct-to-consumer services, meaning important treatment details—including therapy initiation, discontinuation, dosing, and duration—may be missing from oncology-specific datasets. These gaps limit confidence in analyses evaluating the relationship between GLP-1 exposure and clinical outcomes.

Paulus emphasizes that future research will require more comprehensive data sources capable of integrating prescribing information across multiple care settings. Such datasets could provide a more complete understanding of medication exposure and help investigators better evaluate whether the timing, duration, and intensity of GLP-1 therapy influence survival among patients with cancer.

As interest in GLP-1 receptor agonists continues to grow in oncology, improving the quality and completeness of real-world medication data will be essential for generating more robust evidence to inform future research and clinical decision-making.