A new fat-burning pill could help patients lose weight without suffering the harsh side effects associated with some weight-loss treatments, experts revealed today.
Diet pills have a problematic history and only one is approved for use on the NHS in the UK — Xenical — which is not very popular because of the way it works.
This drug stops the absorption of fat, causing it to pass directly through the body.
However, this process can cause unpleasant stomach or intestinal problems such as diarrhea, which according to studies have caused many people to stop using it.
But in a first-in-human trial in Sweden, users who took the new drug — currently known as ATR-258 — found they burned fat while preserving muscle mass.
Users of weight loss injections like Mounjaro and Wegovy, in contrast, have reported losing muscle as well as fat, leaving them feeling thinner or with loose skin.
Experts hope this experimental treatment could be the next breakthrough in the fight against obesity, as it is likely to attract more people who feel uncomfortable with injections.
Professor Tore Bengtsson, an expert in molecular bioscience at Stockholm University and founder of the company Atrogi that produces the drug, said:
“This pill can actively reshape body composition, reducing fat while preserving muscle mass, all without requiring dietary restriction. This is unprecedented.”
He added: "Our results point to a future where we can improve metabolic health without losing muscle mass. Muscle is important for both type 2 diabetes and obesity, and muscle mass is directly related to longevity."
The drug works by boosting metabolism in muscles, activating them to burn more fat.
This is different from injections like Mounjaro, which interfere with signals between the gut and the brain, making patients feel fuller for longer.
In the study published in the journal Cell, 48 healthy volunteers and 25 with type 2 diabetes tried the pill and saw similar results to previous animal testing.
Researchers found that the drug was safe and helped with weight loss without overstimulating the heart or other muscles.
They will now be tested in larger trials with more volunteers.
Co-author of the study and expert in pharmacology from the Karolinska Institute, Professor Shane Wright, said:
"This drug represents a completely new type of treatment and has the potential to be of great importance for patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity. Our substance appears to promote healthy weight loss and, what's more, patients don't need to take injections."
Last year, a worrying report suggested that rising obesity levels in Britain have led to a shocking 39% increase in type 2 diabetes in people under 40.
In the UK, over 5 million people live with diabetes, with around 90% having type 2 diabetes — which occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or the insulin that is produced does not work properly.
This hormone is necessary to lower blood sugar levels.
At least half a million NHS patients and around 15 million patients in the US are believed to use weight loss injections, which can help lose up to 20% of body weight in just a few months.
And the number of those who use them privately is even greater.
This comes at the same time as obese patients in England will, from today, be able to receive the so-called "King Kong" weight loss injection — Mounjaro — for free from their family doctor.
This weekly injection will be offered to around 220,000 people over the next three years under new NHS prescribing rules.
However, like any other medication, side effects are numerous and include nausea, abdominal pain, severe digestive problems, and even bone pain. /GazetaExpress/
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