Dulaglutide could help motivate patients to quit smoking and avoid early relapse, say Swiss doctors who found the drug counteracts “expected” post-cessation weight gain.

Their randomised controlled trial demonstrated that adults who received a 12-week course of the GLP-1 receptor agonist in addition to standard care lost 1kg on average after quitting.

In contrast, those given placebo gained 1.9kg, equating to a between-group difference of 2.9kg from baseline.

There was also a small yet significant improvement in HbA1c levels (-0.25%) in the dulaglutide group.