Glucagon-like peptide 2
You are deciding between two options.
Reference and calculator, not medical advice. This page explains how something works; it does not tell you what to take. Last reviewed August 2026.
GLP-2 is a real hormone, cleaved from the same precursor protein as GLP-1, and it has an approved analogue on the market. What it does not have is any connection to appetite or weight. It acts on the intestine, and its approved product is indicated for Short Bowel Syndrome in people dependent on parenteral support — a completely unrelated clinical problem.
What proglucagon actually produces
GLP-1 and GLP-2 are both cut from the same precursor protein. This is the complete list of what that protein yields.
- GlucagonRaises blood glucose. The hormone the whole family is named after.
- GLP-1Glucagon-like peptide-1. Regulates appetite and caloric intake; the target of every medication on this site.
- GLP-2Glucagon-like peptide-2. Acts on the intestine — increases intestinal blood flow and inhibits gastric acid secretion. Nothing to do with appetite.
- OxyntomodulinAlso cleaved from proglucagon. No approved analogue on the US market.
There is no GLP-3. The numbering stops at two because only two glucagon-like peptides are produced. No such hormone appears in the physiology literature, and a search of the FDA drug label database returns zero results for it.
What GLP-2 actually is
A real hormone from the same precursor protein as GLP-1, with an approved analogue — but for an entirely unrelated condition.
- FDA-approved medication
- Yes
- Approved for
- Short Bowel Syndrome in adults and children aged 1 and over who depend on parenteral support.
- Example
- Gattex (teduglutide), Takeda
- Difference that matters
- Acts on the intestine, not on appetite. It is not a weight-loss drug and is not prescribed as one.
This page describes what each thing is and what it is approved for. It does not compare how well they work, because that is a question for a prescriber with your history in front of them.
The numbering is what causes the confusion, and it is worth saying plainly that it carries no ranking. GLP-2 is not a newer or stronger GLP-1; the numbers reflect the order of the fragments cleaved from proglucagon, nothing more. For the same reason, GLP-3 does not exist — the family is glucagon, GLP-1, GLP-2 and oxyntomodulin, and there is no fifth member waiting to be marketed.
Common questions
- Can GLP-2 be used for weight loss?
- Its approved indication is Short Bowel Syndrome. It acts on the intestine rather than on appetite, so it is not prescribed for weight management.
- Is GLP-3 a thing?
- No. Proglucagon yields glucagon, GLP-1, GLP-2 and oxyntomodulin. Anything marketed as GLP-3 is using a name that does not correspond to a hormone.
- Does tirzepatide hit GLP-2?
- No — it is a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist. GIP is a separate incretin hormone and not part of the proglucagon family at all.
Sources and last review
This page is general reference rather than a dosing table, so it quotes no figures from a label. Nothing here is reviewed by a clinician, and this site does not employ one — which is exactly why what I do publish stays traceable to its source.
- This page carries no product-specific dosing figures. The labels behind everything on this site are listed on the sources page, and the originals live on DailyMed.
Transcribed from the labels above and checked by me — Gavin, who builds this site, takes a GLP-1, and is not a clinician. Last reviewed August 2026. Found an error? [email protected] — I treat corrections as bugs. How this site is built and funded.