What Is Survodutide? Dosage, Half-Life & How to Track It
Also known as: BI 456906 · GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist
Survodutide (development code BI 456906) is a dual GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist from Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma, in development for obesity and metabolic liver disease. Phase 2 trials showed 12.5–14.9% weight loss versus placebo over 46 weeks. Dosed once weekly thanks to a multi-day half-life, titrated from 0.6 mg up toward 6.0 mg over roughly three months. Investigational; educational information only.
What survodutide is and how it works
Survodutide activates both the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, the same two-pathway design as mazdutide. The glucagon side pushes the liver toward burning fat, which is also why survodutide is being developed specifically for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) — fatty liver — in addition to obesity, a niche the GLP-1-only drugs address less directly.
In Phase 2 obesity trials, the dose-dependent weight loss (up to roughly 15% versus placebo at 46 weeks) landed ahead of single-agonist GLP-1 drugs at comparable trial stages, consistent with the added glucagon pathway. It remains in Phase 3 development and is not yet approved.
The liver-disease angle is worth flagging: most GLP-1-class discussion centers on weight, but survodutide’s dual mechanism is being studied as a direct treatment for liver fat accumulation, not just as a side effect of weight loss.
Typical dosing & reconstitution
Trial titration is one of the more gradual in this class, extending to 12+ weeks before reaching the top studied dose:
- Weeks 1–2: 0.6 mg
- Weeks 3–4: 1.2 mg
- Weeks 5–6: 1.8 mg
- Weeks 7–8: 2.4 mg
- Weeks 9–10: 3.6 mg
- Weeks 11–12: 4.8 mg
- Week 13+: 6.0 mg (maintenance)
| Vial | BAC water | Concentration | 1 unit (U-100) ≈ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mg | 2 mL | 5 mg/mL | 50 mcg |
At 5 mg/mL, the 6.0 mg maintenance dose is 120 units — beyond a standard 1 mL insulin syringe — so trial protocols call for a 1 mL or 3 mL Luer-lock syringe, or splitting it into two injections. The calculator surfaces that threshold automatically for whatever vial and water you enter.
Half-life & what it means for frequency
Survodutide’s half-life runs roughly ~4 days (about 100 hours), in the same range as tirzepatide and retatrutide, which is what makes once-weekly dosing viable and — as with the rest of this class — means levels build across the first several weeks of any new dose rather than resetting shot to shot.
The unusually long, 12-step titration schedule leans directly on that math: each step gets its own two-week window (rather than the four-week hold seen in some trials) but the overall ladder still spans about three months to reach the top studied dose, prioritizing tolerability over speed.
What to track & common side effects
GI side effects — nausea, diarrhea, and related symptoms — follow the class pattern, dose-dependent and concentrated around each step-up.
Given the liver-disease angle, anyone using survodutide for that indication has an extra reason to track it consistently: weight, dose, and how symptoms track with escalation are the same data a prescriber would want to see, and they’re the easiest thing to lose from memory over a 12-week titration.
How to track Survodutide in Frontload
Log the weekly dose across the full 12-step titration so a step-up is always intentional, and trend weight and waist rather than any single reading. If you’re tracking survodutide for its liver-focused development, keep the dose history handy — that context matters if a prescriber is following your labs alongside it.
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Blood-Level Simulator
Model it yourself: pick survodutide, set your weekly dose, and watch levels build across the titration to steady state — the same pharmacokinetic engine that runs inside the app.
Related compounds
Related reading: Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide: half-life, cadence, and what to track · Peptide reconstitution math: how much BAC water to add
Frequently asked questions
What is survodutide used for?
It’s a dual GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist (BI 456906) in development for obesity and fatty liver disease (MASLD). Phase 2 trials showed 12.5–14.9% weight loss versus placebo over 46 weeks. It is not yet FDA-approved.
What is the half-life of survodutide?
Roughly 4 days (about 100 hours), similar to tirzepatide, which supports once-weekly dosing and a multi-week build to steady state at any given dose.
How is survodutide titrated?
Trial protocols step every two weeks: 0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4, 3.6, and 4.8 mg, reaching a 6.0 mg maintenance dose by around week 13.
Is survodutide for weight loss or liver disease?
Both are in active development. It’s being studied for obesity like other GLP-class drugs, but its dual GLP-1/glucagon mechanism is also being tested specifically as a treatment for fatty liver disease (MASLD) — a use case most single-pathway GLP-1 drugs don’t target directly.
This is educational information, not medical advice. Doses and protocols above reflect published references and community practice — protocol decisions belong with your prescribing physician. Generic names used throughout. How this reference is built & how the AI is tested →
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