Medications such as Ozempic or Wegovy have become very popular for helping to lose people with excess weight, since they act on the GLP-1 hormone (peptide similar to glucagon 1), which slows digestion and produces a feeling of satiety. However, they usually have side effects such as loss of appetite, gastrointestinal discomfort and reduction of muscle mass. Now, a experimental drug that is administered orally It has shown effectiveness to reduce blood sugar levels and favor fat burning without causing loss of appetite, or muscle mass.
This new development treatment for people with type 2 diabetes and obesity, has demonstrated its effectiveness in a study by researchers from the Karolinska Institute and the University of Stockholm. In addition, unlike well-based LPG-1 medications, which are administered by injections and decrease the feeling of hunger through signals between the intestine and the brain, this new oral drug works completely differently.
The study results have been published in the magazine Cell And they show that this new substance acts directly on metabolism in skeletal muscles. In animal studies, it has been shown to improve glucose control and body composition without causing the usual adverse effects of GLP-1 medications and in an initial clinical test in phase I with 48 health Treatment is also well tolerated by human beings.
A possible ally of GLP-1 medicines
“Our results point to a future in which we can improve metabolic health without losing muscle mass. The muscles are important in both type 2 diabetes, and in obesity, and muscle mass is also directly related to life expectancy,” said Tore Bengttson, a professor of the Molecular Bioscience Department of the Wenner-Gren Institute of the University of Stockholm and one of the researchers of the study, in a note published by the Institute Karolinska.
The active substance is based on a molecule created in the laboratory, a type of β2 agonist designed to activate certain signaling pathways in the body that benefits the muscle without overloading the heart, something that is usually a problem with this type of compounds.
“Our substance seems to promote healthy weight loss and, in addition, patients do not have to put injections”
“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 seems to promote healthy weight loss and, in addition, patients do not have to wear injections,” says Shane C. Wright, an attached professor of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology of the Karolinska Institute and one of the researchers responsible for the study.
This new treatment could not only work on its own, but also in combination with the GLP-1 drugs, since they act through different mechanisms. “That makes them useful options both separately and combined,” adds Wright. The next step will be to perform a broader clinical trial in Phase II, promoted by the Swedish company atrogi AB, responsible for the development of the medication. The objective is to check if the good results obtained in animal models are replicated in human patients with type 2 diabetes or obesity.
Source: www.webconsultas.com