A new pill could help diabetic and obese patients (Image: Getty)
A new pill could help tackle diabetes and obesity without some of the side effects of GLP-1 medications. According to a trial, this medication could lower blood sugar and boost fat burning without suppressing appetite or triggering muscle loss, which are two concerns linked to some existing weight loss treatments.
The findings, published in the journal Cell, originate from researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University.
Unlike popular GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy, which are administered via injection and function by influencing appetite signals between the gut and brain, the new treatment – known as GRK-biased adrenergic agonists – operates through an entirely different mechanism.
Rather than targeting hunger, the experimental drug stimulates metabolism within skeletal muscle.
Researchers report this method improved blood sugar control and body composition in animal studies while avoiding several side effects frequently associated with GLP-1 therapies, including appetite suppression, muscle loss, and digestive problems.
Known side effects of GLP-1s include tiredness or dizziness, hair loss, and low blood sugar (Image: Getty)
As reported by Science Daily, the researchers also carried out an initial Phase I clinical trial involving 48 healthy volunteers and 25 people with type 2 diabetes. According to the study, participants tolerated the treatment well.
Tore Bengtsson, professor at the Department of Molecular Bioscience at the Wenner-Gren Institute at Stockholm University, said: “Our results point to a future where we can improve metabolic health without losing muscle mass. Muscles are important in both type 2 diabetes and obesity, and muscle mass is also directly correlated with life expectancy.”
The medication is based on a laboratory-developed molecule called a β2 agonist. Scientists engineered the compound to trigger crucial signalling pathways in a novel way that benefits muscle tissue without overstimulating the heart, a challenge that has historically restricted the use of β2 agonists.
Shane C Wright, assistant professor at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at Karolinska Institutet, added: “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, in addition, patients do not have to take injections.”
Since the new treatment works differently from GLP-1 medications, researchers believe it could prove beneficial both independently and in conjunction with existing therapies.
“This makes them valuable both as a stand-alone treatment and in combination with GLP-1 drugs,” Wright said.
Atrogi AB, the company behind the drug, will now lead a larger Phase II clinical trial as the next stage of development. Researchers are hopeful that the promising results witnessed in preclinical studies can be successfully reproduced in patients living with type 2 diabetes or obesity.
This pill is different to the one recently approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK. This tablet uses semaglutide, the same as approved weight loss jabs, making it a GLP-1 receptor agonist.
Known side effects of GLP-1s include tiredness or dizziness, hair loss, low blood sugar and a fast heart rate, which can affect around one in 10 people. A rarer but more serious side effect can include acute pancreatitis, which can cause pain in your tummy, a high temperature, nausea, and vomiting.
You should call 111 if you think you are experiencing this. If you are concerned about your weight, you should speak to your GP.
