Liverpool University Hospital,

Incretins such as glucose-dependent insulinotropic poly-peptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are intestinal postprandial hormones that stimulate insulin release from the pancreas as long as circulating glucose concentrations are raised. In addition to their effect on insulin secretion and consequent glucose lowering, GIP and GLP-1, especially the latter, have a number of physiological effects such as inhibition of glucagon release, gastric emptying and food intake, as well as a tropic action on pancreatic B-cell mass. There is currently a pandemic of obesity and diabetes, and existing treatments are largely inadequate both in regard to efficacy as well as their ability to tackle important factors in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D). There i