Disclosed is a peptide, comprising: a) an N-terminal region comprising at least seven amino acid residues, the N-terminal region having a first amino acid position and a last amino acid position, wherein the N-terminal region comprises DSSPL (SEQ ID NO: 121) or DASPH (SEQ ID NO: 122) and b) a C-terminal region having a first amino acid position and a last amino acid position, wherein the C-terminal region comprises: (i) a first C-terminal region sequence comprising WGDPIRLRHLYTSG (amino acids 16 to 29 of SEQ ID NO: 99 [FGF19]), wherein the W residue corresponds to the first amino acid position of the C-terminal region and (ii) a second C-terminal region sequence comprising PHGLSSCFLRIRADGVVDCARGQSAHSLLEIKAVALRTVAIKGVHSVRYLCMGADGKMQGLLQYSEEDCAFEEEIRPDGYNVYRSEKHRLPVSLSSAKQRQLYKNRGFLPLSHFLPMLPMVPEEPEDLRGHLESDMFSSPLETDSMDPFGLVTGLEAVRSPSFEK (amino acid residues 30 to 194 of SEQ ID NO: 99 [FGF19]) or a sequence comprising 1 to 5 amino acid substitutions, deletions or insertions thereof wherein the peptide: (i) binds to fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) with an affinity equal to or greater than FGF19 binding affinity for FGFR4 (ii) activates FGFR4 to an extent or amount equal to or greater than FGF19 activates FGFR4 (iii) has at least one of reduced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) formation greater glucose lowering activity, less lipid increasing activity, less triglyceride activity, less cholesterol activity, less non-HDL activity or less HDL increasing activity, as compared to FGF19, or as compared to an FGF19 variant sequence having any of GQV, GDI, WGPI, WGDPV, WGDI, GDPI, GPI, WGQPI, WGAPI, AGDPI, WADPI, WGDAI, WGDPA, WDPI, WGDI, WGDP or FGDPI substituted for the WGDPI sequence at amino acids 16-20 of FGF19 (SEQ ID NO: 99) and/or (iv) has less lean mass reducing activity as compared to FGF21.
