What it is
GLP-1 and dual incretin agonists are a class of medications that influence appetite, satiety, gastric emptying, and glucose regulation. The three names patients hear most often are different in important ways:
Semaglutide is FDA-approved under the brand names Wegovy (for chronic weight management) and Ozempic (for type 2 diabetes). Tirzepatide is a dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist FDA-approved as Zepbound (weight management) and Mounjaro (type 2 diabetes). Retatrutide is a triple agonist that remains investigational — phase 3 trials are ongoing and it is not available for routine prescribing.
Practices offering weight loss peptides may use branded FDA-approved formulations or compounded versions sourced from licensed pharmacies. The two are not the same. Dr. Brown will be transparent in your consultation about exactly what is being prescribed, the regulatory status, and why.
How Dr. Brown approaches it
Medical weight management at Esvie begins with a clinical evaluation, not a prescription. That evaluation includes baseline labs, a review of medical history and current medications, screening for contraindications, and a frank conversation about what the medication can and cannot do.
If a GLP-1 or dual agonist is appropriate, Dr. Brown writes a titration plan — starting dose, escalation schedule, monitoring intervals, and stopping criteria. The medication is sourced from a licensed pharmacy, branded or compounded depending on the clinical situation and supply.
These medications work best alongside lifestyle work — protein intake, resistance training, sleep, and behavioral changes. The medication is a tool. The protocol around it is what produces durable results.
What to expect
Consultation: An in-person visit with Dr. Brown. Medical history, baseline labs ordered, screening for contraindications, and a discussion of realistic outcomes and side effects.
Initiation: Once labs return and a protocol is finalized, the first dose is administered or self-administered after instruction. Most patients self-inject weekly at home.
Titration: Doses are escalated gradually to minimize gastrointestinal side effects. Check-ins occur at regular intervals to assess tolerance, weight trajectory, and any adverse effects.
Ongoing monitoring: Labs are repeated periodically. Dose adjustments, holds, or discontinuation happen based on clinical response and tolerability.
Candidacy
Good candidates meet clinical criteria for medical weight management, have tried lifestyle modification, and are prepared to commit to monitoring and titration over months — not weeks. Realistic expectations matter. So does the willingness to do the lifestyle work alongside the medication.
Not a candidate if you are pregnant, planning pregnancy, or nursing. Not a candidate with personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2 syndrome. Not a candidate with prior pancreatitis. Not a candidate looking for a cosmetic shortcut outside clinical indications.
If a GLP-1 protocol is not appropriate, Dr. Brown will say so and discuss alternatives. The goal is durable health, not a number on a scale.