The scientist behind GLP-1 RAs: AusDoc interviews Professor Lotte Bjerre Knudsen
As she leaves Novo Nordisk, Professor Knudsen remembers crying when she published evidence linking liraglutide to a reduced risk of serious cardiovascular events.
Of the tens of millions of people who have used GLP-1 receptor agonists, how many know the name Professor Lotte Bjerre Knudsen?
It was Professor Knudsen who co-invented liraglutide, the first drug derived from the human GLP-1 hormone, and the precursor to semaglutide, to which she also contributed.
She engineered GLP-1 that could bind to albumin while being absorbable through subcutaneous injection.
While albumin binding is a problem for many drugs, because it leads to a low free fraction, which restricts the effects, in liraglutide’s case it was the solution.
