Cream For Weight Loss May Replace Injections, Say Scientists
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The research involves a thumbnail-sized patch with micro-needles, reportedly so fine they cause no pain or pierce blood vessels, allowing painless drug delivery through skin
Weight loss medications are drawing global attention, with injections being introduced in several countries. A significant number of people are reportedly using treatments like Ozempic and Vigoli, with claims that around 12 million individuals have received such injections so far.
However, new reports suggest that obesity could potentially be reduced through a topical cream instead of injections. According to scientists, this innovative cream, applied directly to the skin, may help reduce obesity within days. It is claimed that the product will soon be available on the market.
In India alone, an estimated 230 million people are reported to be overweight. According to a report by the Daily Mail, various treatments, including different types of medications, have been developed to manage obesity. Now, scientists are reportedly working on a cream that may help reduce body weight through a transdermal drug delivery system.
Dr. Nicholas Perricone, a dermatologist and anti-aging specialist, has reportedly highlighted that this method could benefit millions of people who are hesitant about injections but still wish to use weight loss medication. Researchers are said to be experimenting with a gel formulation based on the compound tirzepatide, which is used in the weight loss drug Mounjaro, now reportedly available in India. There are also claims of plans to collaborate with Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of the drug.
advetisement
The research reportedly involves developing a patch, no larger than a thumbnail, designed to deliver medication through the skin using micro-needles. These needles are claimed to be so fine that they cause no pain and do not penetrate blood vessels, potentially making the method suitable for those with a fear of injections.
Dr. Perricone has reportedly stated that the patch is applied to the wrist and rubbed between both wrists. According to him, the medication is absorbed into the skin within a minute, without causing any noticeable sensation. According to reports, the gel is currently in the experimental phase and will need to undergo pre-clinical and human trials before becoming available on the market.
'Research is underway to develop a thumbnail-sized patch loaded with tiny needles that contains potent doses of weight-loss-inducing medicine. These barely there needles will penetrate the skin without reaching deeper pain receptors and blood vessels, making them ideal for people with even the worst fear of needles," Dr. Perricone was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying.
'You can certainly traverse the skin, getting to the dermalvascular [blood vessels deep in the skin], get it circulating, so that you get the benefits without a needle," she said, adding,
'You just put it on your wrist, and you rub your wrists together, and within about a minute, it's inside. It goes into the skin and then circulates [throughout the body]."
According to a report by the Daily Mail, multiple companies are exploring innovative, needle-free alternatives to traditional weight-loss injections. In addition to Dr Perricone's lab, Las Vegas-based Skinvisible Pharmaceuticals is reportedly developing a cream formulation using the active peptide found in semaglutide—the key ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.
The formulation is claimed to penetrate the skin around ten times more effectively than standard topical treatments, delivering a steady release of the drug into the body over six hours. In efficacy studies, researchers reportedly observed that nearly 70% of the drug successfully entered the skin layers when mixed into the cream.
Meanwhile, Boston-based Anodyne Nanotech is said to be working on a patch-based weight-loss treatment called HeroPatch. The patch, which is smaller than a postage stamp, features one side covered in tiny dissolvable needles. The company reportedly plans to begin clinical trials soon.
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