‘Gastric bypass pill' causes weight loss without side effects: Study
Researchers say the SYNT-101 pill, developed by Boston-based Syntis Bio, mimics the effects of gastric bypass surgery while preserving muscle mass better than GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.
The pill forms a film on the small intestine that redirects nutrient exposure to the lower intestine and gives patients a feeling of fullness — effectively mimicking gastric bypass surgery, which reroutes a person's intestines.
The coating lasts up to 24 hours before it's expelled from the body.
Who is eligible for weight loss medication?
'A lot remains to be seen with these medications, but the studies that we've seen so far look really promising,' said Dr. Jessica Duncan, an obesity medicine physician.
The pill led to consistent weight loss and maintained lean muscle mass in rodent trials, and the first human study confirmed the pill formed a film and was safely cleared from the body within a day.
'These data further validate the potential of SYNT-101 as a convenient once-daily oral alternative or complement to GLP-1 drugs, which often involve substantial costs, severe side effects such as muscle loss and long-term maintenance issues despite high efficacy rates,' said Rahul Dhanda, CEO of Syntis, in a statement.
Are weight loss drugs safe? Learn some of the side effects
The study has limitations. The human trial only examined effects on nine patients who took one dose.
Patients included seven women and two men between 24 and 53 who were not considered obese.
'So in that small group of people, they had no side effects, no serious or adverse events, and they didn't have any gastrointestinal side effects,' Duncan said. 'But with nine people, it's really hard to tell.'
Duncan said the pill's safety profile will be developed in upcoming clinical trials. She told NewsNation that, whether weight loss is coming from a pill, surgery or injection, it's important to preserve muscle mass and eat well.
'Medications are super helpful for correcting the biological causes of obesity, but you have to make those lifestyle changes as well,' Duncan added.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
18 minutes ago
- UPI
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones discloses decade-long cancer battle
1 of 5 | Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was diagnosed with cancer in 2010. File Photo by Ian Halperin/UPI | License Photo Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Jerry Jones was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma and underwent four surgeries over more than a decade to beat the cancer, the Dallas Cowboys owner revealed. Jones made the disclosure during an interview published Wednesday in the Dallas Morning News. The 82-year-old billionaire, who said he was diagnosed in 2010, credited an experimental drug with saving his life. He received treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. "I was saved by a fabulous treatment and great doctors and a real miracle called PD-1 [therapy]," Jones told the Morning News. "I went into trials for that PD-1 and it has been one of the great medicines. I now have no tumors." Stage 4 melanoma means the cancer has already spread to other areas of the body, including the distant lymph nodes, areas of skin or other organs, according to the American Cancer Society. Alternative treatments are typically tried before chemotherapy. PD-1, or Programmed Cell Death Protein 1, therapy helps the immune system fight cancer cells. The five-year survival rate for those with a distant spread of melanoma -- with the cancer in the lungs, liver, skin or lymph nodes -- is 35%, based on data collected by the American Cancer Society for people diagnosed between 2014 and 2020. Jones said he underwent two lung surgeries and two lymph node surgeries. The longtime Cowboys owner bought the franchise for $140 million in 1989. The Cowboys were listed as the most valuable franchise in the NFL on Wednesday, topping Sportico's annual rankings with a value of $12.8 billion. Last year, the Cowboys became the first franchise to pass the $10 billion mark.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Researchers find programme that could improve IVF outcomes
Around one in five women of childbearing age are living with obesity, defined by the World Health Organization as having a body mass index (BMI) over 30 kg/m². Compared with women in the healthy BMI range (18.5–24.9 kg/m²), those living with obesity are three times more likely to experience fertility problems and nearly twice as likely to have a miscarriage. Many turn to in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the hope of having a baby. Women with obesity who are planning a pregnancy are already advised that losing weight can improve their chances of conceiving. Our research suggests that structured weight loss support may also improve outcomes for those seeking IVF. Our study analysed data from 12 international trials involving 1,921 women living with obesity, all planning IVF. It compared those offered a weight loss programme before IVF with those receiving standard care, which typically does not include such support. Women who took part in a weight loss programme had a 21% higher chance of becoming pregnant overall – whether naturally or through IVF. The biggest difference was in natural conceptions: the likelihood of getting pregnant without IVF rose by 47%, meaning some women avoided fertility treatment altogether. However, despite these higher pregnancy rates and no increase in miscarriage risk, there was no clear evidence of an effect on live birth rates. This may be because many of the included studies didn't track live birth outcomes – even though this is the result that matters most to patients. IVF access paradox In the UK, publicly funded IVF is restricted to women with a BMI under 30. Similar weight-based eligibility rules exist in many other countries. These policies disproportionately affect women from more deprived backgrounds and some ethnic groups, who are more likely to be living with obesity. The paradox is clear: women with obesity are more likely to need IVF, but less likely to be eligible for it. Some can afford private weight loss programmes to meet the BMI requirement. Others resort to unproven or unsafe methods to lose weight quickly, risking their health in order to access fertility care. Our research findings suggest that offering structured weight loss programmes to women with obesity who are otherwise ineligible for IVF could help more women become pregnant – and in some cases avoid IVF altogether. This approach could also make fertility treatment more equitable. Since the cost of weight loss support is relatively low compared with IVF, including it in the treatment pathway might offer better value for healthcare providers. Weight loss options before IVF The most effective non-surgical option for significant weight loss is a class of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists – such as Wegovy or Mounjaro – which have been shown to lead to substantial weight reduction. However, these drugs should not be used during pregnancy, while trying to conceive, or while breastfeeding, as there's little safety data in humans – and animal studies suggest potential harm to foetal development. Anyone who becomes pregnant while taking GLP-1 drugs should stop immediately and consult a healthcare professional. For women planning to conceive soon, there are other safe and effective options, including structured support groups and low-energy diet programmes. The problem is that such services are not offered as part of standard IVF care. While some NHS weight management programmes exist, access is limited, waiting lists can be long, and most are aimed at people with obesity-related health conditions rather than those seeking fertility treatment. In many other countries, insurance coverage for weight loss support is similarly patchy, meaning these services must often be funded privately – a cost that can put them out of reach for those who could benefit most. The message from this research is clear: targeted, supportive weight loss programmes before IVF don't just improve pregnancy chances – they could also reduce the need for IVF, promote fairer access to fertility treatment, and save healthcare resources. The challenge now is making sure they're available to everyone who needs them, not just those who can afford to pay. Nerys M. Astbury is an Associate Professor in Health Behaviours at the University of Oxford. Moscho Michalopoulou is a Behavioural Scientist in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford. Pedro Melo is an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics & Gynaecology in the Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health at the University of Oxford. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Forbes
39 minutes ago
- Forbes
Defend Public Health Releases Alternative To RFK Jr.'s 'MAHA' Agenda
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 22: U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talks about a new Make America Healthy Again Commission report in the East Room of the White House on May 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. The commission, which is tasked with studying the potential causes for the "childhood chronic disease crisis," recommends reassessing the nation's childhood vaccine schedule, scrutinizing ultra-processed foods and studying pesticides used in commercial farming. The Trump administration has proposed a FY2026 budget of $94 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services — a reduction of about 26-percent from the 2025 level — cutting programs and staff at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Photo by) Getty Images Robert F. Kennedy, Jr's Make America Healthy Again report was due to be released on August 12, by executive order. The release has been delayed due to scheduling difficulties. Kennedy plans to reveal is strategy for addressing the root causes of the health problems he sees facing America — poor nutrition and ultra-processed food, inactivity, pesticide and chemical use, and children receiving too many medicines and vaccines. Kennedy outlined these in the spring 'MAHA Report.' Per Politico, the Trump administration is already receiving pushback from competing factions—those concerned about pesticide use, for example, and agricultural groups not wanting them limited. Similarly, the food industry is prepared for limits on food dyes, but is concerned about added targets. Defend Public Health, a grassroots volunteer group of thousands of healthcare providers, scientists, advocates and allies, has just issued its own report, Improving the Health of Americans Together: An evidence-based framework for addressing the root causes of illness in the U.S. The IHAT report, prepared by members of DPH's Coordinating Committee, covers an array of science-based strategies designed to counter many of the distortions from Kennedy Jr. They cover a wide range of topics including nutrition and physical activity, from a broader, public health and science perspective. For example, 'food' includes nutrition, food safety, and cuts to inspections under this administration, and access to healthy foods when there are so many food deserts. Kennedy rails against ultra-processed grains, sugars, and fats, which he says account for over two-thirds of calories in a child's diet. He says this 'may play a significant role in childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.' After pressure from Kennedy, who said that 'sugar is poison,' Coca-Cola is changing to sweetening its cola with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup, a move that nutritionists say won't provide significant benefit. Kennedy similarly has gone after dyes in Froot Loops and other foods. Elizabeth Jacobs, a retired epidemiologist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Arizona, put this brouhaha over Kennedy's choices in perspective saying, "Why are we talking about dyes in Froot Loops or cane sugar in Coca Cola while the Trump Administration is cutting SNAP benefits, and 13 million children don't know where their next meal is coming from?" Thomas Galligan, principal scientist for food additives and supplements at the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest told ''We're hearing all this rhetoric from RFK Jr. about how he wants to fix the food system, but then he's making massive cuts within HHS and FDA that will directly impede his ability to fix the food system.' Strengthening pandemic preparedness is essential for our future. Yet Kennedy has falsely said that mRNA vaccines 'fail to protect effectively' against COVID-19 and are unsafe. He promoted a 'let 'er rip' approach to bird flu in poultry and cancelled a $760 million contract with Moderna for a human bird flu vaccine. We have no vaccine and are left totally unprotected should bird flu infect more people. The MAHA report expresses concern over the number of vaccines children receive. As the IHAT report notes, children were not previously 'healthy.' In fact, 'statistics on childhood mortality show that, despite real problems, our children are vastly more likely to live to adulthood today than they were 75 years or more ago.' The IHAT report describes the MAHA report section on vaccines as 'particularly duplicitous and egregious.' Some of Kennedy's actions against vaccines will greatly harm millions of people, especially children. He has removed the COVID-19 vaccination from the CDC's recommended immunization list for healthy children, despite it causing MIS and long Covid in many. Similarly, pregnant women are not able to get a COVID-19 vaccine, although they are at high risk of death or miscarriage from infection. Kennedy has removed the seventeen experts on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, replacing them with an anti-vaccine cadre of seven mostly unqualified individuals. Similarly, he has planned to fire all sixteen members of the United States Preventive Services Task Force. As Jacobs and Miranda Xaver, an assistant professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh, note in a new Op-Ed in The Hill, 'Under the Affordable Care Act, the recommendations of both of these committees are required to be covered by private health insurance, as well as, in some cases, Medicaid and Medicare.' For now, the ACA must cover recommended vaccines and cancer screenings. By gutting these two committees, Kennedy will be able to severely weaken the ACA, something the Republicans have thus far not been able to do legislatively. Last month, Kennedy said he was going to overhaul the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Some have concerns that weakening the protections will drive manufacturers out of the vaccine business. This week, the prestigious Annals of Internal Medicine medical journal published a large Danish study that looked at 1.2 million Danish children over two decades and found no increased risk from vaccines containing aluminum and no increase in autoimmune, atopic or allergic, or neurodevelopmental disorders. Kennedy challenged these findings on Trial Site News, which is rated as 'a strong Pseudoscience source' by Media Bias/Fact Check based on 'promoting misleading and false claims regarding Covid-19 vaccines.' He 'described the research as 'a deceitful propaganda stunt by the pharmaceutical industry,'' and demanded the journal retract the study, which they have refused to do. This type of demand — essentially censorship of an independent medical journal—was previously unheard of. But Kennedy has also proposed banning federal scientists from publishing in journals he doesn't like, although they are leading journals (e.g., Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA). In terms of Kennedy and vaccines, there is so much to write—from his fueling the measles epidemic by his anti-vax statements, to this week's shooting at the CDC. The assailant, Patrick White, 'reportedly motivated by anti-vaccine beliefs, fired more than 180 rounds at the Atlanta headquarters campus.' White reportedly blamed the Covid vaccine for his health problems. Kennedy had described the vaccine as the deadliest vaccine ever made. While exercise is important in both reports, DPH stresses that the social determinants of health—the economic and social factors, often related to poverty and discrimination--make exercise nearly impossible for millions. Other topics in the IHAT report range from improving access to vaccines and health care, including medical, dental, and sexual and reproductive health care, to clean air. Pollution is a major contributor to asthma, chronic lung diseases, and cancer. Combatting scientific misinformation from the government and social media is a growing concern. As the government is scrubbing websites, formerly reliable sources of information have disappeared. Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens, yet Kennedy didn't even mention gun violence in last spring's MAHA report. Reducing gun violence in the country is critical in improving our physical and mental health. Other countries have achieved this; our politicians lack the will to do so. Defend Public Health's IHAT report is thoroughly researched and extensively referenced, a model for what a health planning report should look like. They don't hold back, stating, 'The HHS Secretary must be a person who respects expertise and has the humility to listen to scientists and healthcare professionals who provide critical analysis of health strategies for Americans. All of the 17 dismissed members of ACIP should be reinstated, and the unqualified members of the committee appointed by Kennedy should be permanently removed. Further, all members of USPSTF should be returned to their roles.' Defend Public Health concludes, 'Secretary Kennedy is a threat to the health of every person in the United States. He must resign or be removed from office in order to improve the health of Americans together.'
