New weight loss pill could burn fat without usual jab side effects
A new experimental diet pill for type 2 diabetes and obesity works by triggering muscle metabolism to burn fat, offering a different approach to existing GLP-1 injections.
Unlike current weight loss jabs, this tablet-form drug aims to avoid common side effects such as gastrointestinal issues, loss of appetite, and reduced muscle mass.
Initial animal studies and a small human clinical trial involving 48 healthy participants and 25 people with type 2 diabetes have shown the drug is well-tolerated and effective in controlling blood sugar and improving body composition.
Researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University developed the drug, a modified beta-2 agonist, to specifically target muscles without overstimulating the heart.
The next phase involves a larger clinical study planned by Atrogi AB, the company developing the treatment, to further assess its efficacy and safety.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
New Ozempic alternative only needs to be taken once a month and leads to ‘substantial weight loss'
A NEW weight loss jab that only needs to be taken once monthly leads to "substantial weight loss", according to early trials. Drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro - or diabetes jab Ozempic - need to be injected once weekly to see results. 1 But a new drug currently being trialled by pharmaceutical company Amgen can be given once a month and saw users shed up to 16 per cent of their body weight over the course of a year. This is bellow the 20 per cent weight loss than can be achieved through Mounjaro - dubbed the 'King Kong' of weight loss jabs - over 18 months. But scientists behind the new trial said the less frequent dose schedule could encourage people to stick to the treatment. The drug is called maridebart cafraglutide, or MariTide for short. Like Wegoy, Mounjaro and Ozempic, it's a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, meaning it targets the GLP-1 receptors in the brain and pancreas to reduce appetite and control blood sugar. But it also targets glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors, which are also involved in managing insulin release, fat storage, metabolism, and appetite. This is part of the reason the drug needs to be administered less often. "In this phase two trial, once-monthly maridebart cafraglutide resulted in substantial weight reduction in participants with obesity with or without type 2 diabetes," they wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine. "Once-monthly therapeutics for obesity may offer sustainable treatment for persons with this highly prevalent, chronic disease. "Medication at less frequent intervals may improve adherence and reduce barriers, potentially facilitating improvements in long-term health outcomes." There were 592 people aged 18 or older enrolled in the study - 465 of them were obese, defined as having a BMI of 30 or more, or a BMI of 27 with one obesity-related complication. The remaining participants had obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. They were randomly given monthly maridebart cafraglutide injections or a placebo for a year, at dose of 140, 280, or 420 mg. Some participants remained on a stable dose throughout, while others gradually worked up to a higher one. Participants were asked to report any side effects they experienced from the drug, such as nausea, vomiting, retching, headaches, diarrhoea and constipation Those with obesity lost 12.3 to 16.2 per cent of their body weight while taking maridebart cafraglutide over 52 weeks, compared to people taking a placebo who only lost 2.5 per cent of their weight. As for people with diabetes and obesity, they lost 8.4 to 12.3 per cent of their body weight on the drug, compared to 1.7 per cent weight loss for placebo-takers. Almost all participants taking maridebart cafraglutide experienced at least one side-effect from the drug - mild to moderate nausea, vomiting and retching were the most frequently reported side-effects. These effects were less severe when participants gradually built up to a full dose of maridebart cafraglutide, which may be the best way to get people started on it in the future. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. Two deaths were reported in participants who received maridebart cafraglutide, but both were investigated and deemed unrelated to the drug. A handful of people taking the drug reported gallbladder issues, which can also be an issue with other weight loss jabs. Some also experienced depression and suicidal thoughts while participating in the trial. One person taking maridebart cafraglutide and one person on the placebo drug withdrew as a result. This was a phase two clinical trial, meaning it still needs to be tested on a bigger group of participants over a longer time period. Amgen deemed the results promising enough to progress to a phase three trial. "This phase two dose-ranging trial investigating the efficacy and safety of maridebart cafraglutide, a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist and GIP receptor antagonist administered once monthly or less frequently, showed substantial weight reduction and no new or unexpected safety signals, supporting advancement to phase three," researchers wrote. They estimated MariTide could lead to even more weight loss, beyond a year of use. they noted.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Smoking, drinking too much and being overweight ‘puts one in 50 adults in England at risk of early death'
One in 50 people aged 16 or older in England is at risk of an early death because they smoke, drink too much and are overweight, research has found. This 'triple threat' increases the risk of diseases such as cancer and diabetes and in some cases dying as much as 20 years earlier than they should, a senior doctor has said. About 1 million people in England are living with that threat, an analysis of the Health Survey for England by the charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) revealed. They are the 2.2% of the population who use tobacco, drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week and are overweight or obese, as judged by having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more. However, 10 million – 22% of the population – exhibit two of the three risky behaviours, Ash found, while 33.9 million (73.6%) have at least one risk factor. Prof Sir Ian Gilmore, the chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: 'It is staggering that as many as one in 50 adults in England are at a much higher risk of dying because of the combination of tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food. 'Smoking, alcohol and excess weight each significantly increase the risk of serious health problems like cancer, heart disease and liver disease. When these risk factors are combined, the danger to people's health is even greater, leading to higher chances of early death and more years in poor health. 'Together they create a toxic combination that can lead to long-term disability and early death.' A lifelong smoking habit reduces someone's life expectancy by about 10 years and grade three obesity – being severely obese with a BMI of more than 40 – does so by a similar amount. The UK's four chief medical officers recommend that no one drinks more than 14 units of alcohol a week. Gilmore, a former president of the Royal College of Physicians, added: 'Although the risks of two or more risk factors are not purely additive, it is likely that smoking, grade three obesity and heavy drinking will reduce life expectancy by at least 20 years.' Ash also found that: 12.7% of people in England (5.9 million) are overweight and drink more than 14 units but do not smoke. 5.5% (2.5 million) are overweight and smoke but drink less than 14 units. 1.4% (600,000) smoke and drink more than 14 units but have a normal weight. Caroline Cerny, the deputy chief executive of Ash, said: 'The findings are extremely worrying. They provide an insight into the challenges facing the NHS both now and in the future.' The burden of illness in England is rising due to the ageing and growing population and impact of lifestyle-related conditions linked to smoking, drinking and poor diet. Research by the Health Foundation has found that 9 million more people will be living with conditions such as cancer, diabetes, dementia, kidney disease and depression by 2040. Cerny urged Wes Streeting, the health secretary, to include robust measures to improve public health in the government's forthcoming 10-year plan for the NHS. They should include targets to cut smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight, introducing minimum unit pricing of alcohol in England and extending the sugar tax to other unhealthy foods, she said. The Department of Health and Social Care did not comment directly on the findings. A spokesperson said the 10-year health plan, due next Thursday, would shift the NHS from treatment to prevention. Ministers are committed to tackling obesity through a ban on the advertising of junk food on TV before 9pm and a planned new food strategy, they said. They also cited the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, an increase in the public health grant and an extra £310m for treatment of drug and alcohol addiction as evidence of the government's action on public health.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Meet the Americans who make their own weight-loss drugs
SAN FRANCISCO, June 27 (Reuters) - In what she calls the "wild west" of obesity medicines, Missouri-based Amy Spencer is a pioneer. Each week the mother of two injects herself with weight-loss drugs, two of which are in clinical trials and not yet approved for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. One comes mixed with tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's Zepbound. Spencer, 50, is not part of any drug trial but mixes the cocktails herself, using tiny doses that she believes are safe. The total cost is about $50 monthly, as little as one-tenth of what she would expect to pay their makers for full treatment. The drugs – glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) weight-loss medicines – are manufactured and shipped from China, according to the packaging. She orders them through online vendors. Spencer belongs to a fast-growing group of Americans turning to what many call the "gray market" for obesity medicines, bringing cheap active ingredients from China often labeled as for research purposes, according to import data and social media postings. It's a trend that drugmakers Lilly and Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy, say is dangerous as well as illicit. Reuters tracked online forums and interviewed seven people who said they bought obesity medicines through this market, including an attorney in Arizona who works for a state insurance agency, a retired nurse in Illinois and a Type 1 diabetic in Louisiana, who said the medicine helped cut her insulin intake by more than half. For more than a year there has been demand for cheap Chinese-made powders, exacerbated by limited health insurance coverage in the U.S. Buyers told Reuters the gray market received a boost from an FDA ruling last year that U.S. compounding pharmacies – outsourcing facilities that create drugs in shortage – must stop selling obesity medicines more cheaply than the companies that developed them. Shipments of such active ingredients from Chinese entities not registered with the FDA jumped by 44% in January from the previous month, according to research by the Partnership for Safe Medicines, a public health group focused on the safety of prescription drugs. It said its findings are likely an undercount, because unregistered vendors may not disclose that their parcels contain medicines. Packages valued at less than $800 that enter the U.S. under the de minimis rule are not included in the data. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to government estimates, but a survey by nonprofit health policy research organization KFF found only about 8% say they have taken medicine for weight loss. Most of the gray market buyers Reuters interviewed had told their medical providers they were taking GLP-1 medicines but not where or how they bought them. Insurance coverage for weight-loss drugs has recently increased, but typically only covers branded versions, according to consulting firm Mercer. Many Americans have paid out of pocket for cheaper compounded drugs. Interest in taking small doses of the drugs has also spurred the online marketplace, buyers said. Taking to platforms including Reddit and Telegram for guidance, buyers import small quantities, often described as research materials to sidestep regulatory scrutiny. They swap advice for navigating the market, exchanging information on vendors, shipping and dosage, and sometimes clubbing together to cover the cost of testing the powders. One forum is called StairwayToGray. It has more than 21,000 members on Telegram and recently was gaining nearly 1,000 members weekly. It did not respond to Reuters' inquiries, and blocked access to the forum after receiving them. It has a website where it says it does not facilitate group purchases. "This community is filling the gaps and being our own regulators, ensuring testing and access for everyone who needs it. Because you shouldn't have to choose between your health or your wallet," it says. Spencer stores her stocks in her fridge and makes them up in the kitchen – carefully measuring sterile water, rolling the vial between her fingers until the powder dissolves, and drawing the liquid into a syringe before injecting it into her thigh or belly. She has lost 24 pounds. "This is working so well for me. It's so easy. It's cheap," said Spencer, who assumes her health plan wouldn't cover the drugs. "I don't know what I would do without this medicine." In February, 38 U.S. state and territory attorney generals wrote the FDA seeking action against illegally sold weight-loss medicines, including "research purposes only" ingredients from China. "Much like with counterfeit versions, these active ingredients come from unregulated, undisclosed sources ... and pose risks of contamination and inclusion of foreign substances," they said. Shabbir Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, said unapproved drugs can have problems with sterility, purity and consistency. "It can be very dangerous. You're playing the role of your own doctor, pharmacist, and FDA inspector," he said. Of those interviewed, only Spencer reported any problems: She once got her math wrong and overdosed, resulting in several days of severe flu-like symptoms. Lilly said it had taken many steps to address patient safety risks posed by the proliferation of unsafe or untested tirzepatide. The company said it is filing lawsuits, educating consumers and working with social media companies to identify and remove posts that promote unsafe products, including those described as "research use only." "We will continue to take action to stop those who threaten patient safety and urgently call on regulators and law enforcement to do the same," a Lilly spokesperson told Reuters. Novo Nordisk also said it continues to take action against entities that violate laws and regulations and put patient safety at risk. America's Poison Control agency, which maintains the nation's poison data surveillance system and monitors GLP-1 exposures, said it could not reliably track cases involving unregulated "research chemical powders" because they are sold under various names and formulations. The FDA's goal is to stop illegal sales of pharmaceutical medicines at the border, said George Karavetsos, former director of the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations and co-author of the imports study. But understanding the true nature and intended use of small parcels arriving from China can be difficult, and the FDA rarely seeks charges against consumers for personal use, he said. The FDA said it urges consumers to buy from licensed pharmacies and "avoid products of unknown quality," adding it was actively protecting consumers by intercepting illegal products at ports, and warning companies that market unapproved weight-loss medicines, including those mislabeled as "for research purposes." Although the forums show suppliers purportedly in China, Reuters was not able to verify where the drugs originate. None of the vendors responded to requests for comment. A Reddit spokesperson said the site prohibits facilitating transactions involving drugs and it had shut down a group found to be doing this. Telegram said it removes "more than a million" instances of harmful content each day, but did not comment directly. Spencer has polycystic ovary syndrome and for years struggled with weight gain and hypertension. She decided to try obesity medicines after seeing claims on social media that microdosing them could give fewer side effects, and bought semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, from a compounding pharmacy for about $200 per month. She started on one-fifth of the lowest dose. Within days, intermittent joint pain she often suffered had dissipated: "I didn't realize how badly I hurt until the pain was gone." The cost would reach about $500 a month if she bought the drug from Novo, which recently introduced one-off discounts. After a week, Spencer said, her blood pressure dropped so low she thought she might pass out, so she stopped taking hypertension medicine. Her pressure stabilized and she lost three pounds. She wanted to understand more about microdosing, and turned to the gray market last summer. On Reddit, users told how another Novo drug in development, called CagriSema, had helped reduce inflammation and hunger pangs better than semaglutide. CagriSema is Novo's next-generation obesity drug candidate, still in clinical trials so not available to the public. It combines semaglutide with another molecule, called cagrilintide, which intensifies the hormone-mimicking effects to regulate blood sugar and reduce hunger. Spencer was intrigued. She found a U.S. reseller saying they tested Chinese-made CagriSema through a third-party lab before selling it to Americans. On microdoses of CagriSema, Spencer could enjoy food in small quantities. "I could say 'yes' because I knew I was only going to eat four bites." In October, Spencer saw on Reddit that tirzepatide might also reduce inflammation. She placed a new order for vials that contained cagrilintide and tirzepatide combined, dubbed "cagri-tirz." Now each Monday, Spencer injects herself with tiny amounts of cagri-tirz. On Thursdays, she uses retatrutide, a new obesity medicine by Lilly, also in trials. As she was switching to cagri-tirz, Spencer made a dangerous mistake. She calculated her new dosage without realizing the concentration of cagrilintide in the combined vials was 10 times higher than she had taken previously. "I was an idiot. I didn't do my math. Or rather, I did the math for the tirzepatide but not for the cagri," she said. Almost immediately, she began vomiting. The reaction was so severe she had trouble moving. She forced herself to drink water but couldn't eat. After four days, when symptoms lifted, she had lost seven pounds. Despite the blunder, Spencer didn't consider returning to compounded versions of the drugs or abandoning them altogether. She is not regularly monitored by a healthcare provider, but says her treatment has led to a "life-changing" reduction in weight, joint pain and blood pressure. Gray-market buyer Marie, 41, shows how do-it-yourself drugmakers are organizing. She describes herself as a "soccer mom" from the Midwest and asked to be identified by her middle name to protect her privacy. Last year she bought a compounding pharmacy's version of tirzepatide, paying about $470 monthly, and had lost more than 20 pounds when the FDA announced the ban on compounded weight-loss drugs. She began to worry about her supply. Browsing on Reddit, she discovered links to Telegram and a trove of detailed instructions from experienced users for buying weight-loss drug ingredients from China. Customers said they often paid with Bitcoin or through mobile payment service Venmo. After a month closely following the forums, Marie made a purchase in January. The package that arrived contained 20 small glass vials of white powder with red caps. There were no instructions. The vendor who advertised the package on Telegram said it came from China. Marie returned to the forums and joined a group of 52 other customers who paid a total of $1,020 to a Tennessee-based company called Peptide Test. Six members mailed in a vial each and the others chipped in their share of the fee. The lab found the samples were pure. Peptide Test declined to comment. "It's an honor system," said Marie. "These groups are very supportive in a way I haven't seen on the internet before." Before her first injection, Marie gave her husband details of what she had done. They agreed that if needed, he would disclose everything to the emergency medics. But she was fine. In March, Marie volunteered to organize testing a new order of tirzepatide. The group formed on Telegram after users received vials from the same vendor which they judged to be from the same batch based on the color of the caps. In all, 38 buyers agreed to chip in for the $1,300 bill, and decided by poll that five vials would be enough. Five people sent drugs to the lab, Janoshik Analytical in the Czech Republic, which found the vials contained tirzepatide, as purported, with purity between 99.78% and 99.85%. Janoshik's CEO, Peter Magic, is a former amateur weight-lifter. He said his company started out more than a decade ago testing performance-enhancing drugs for online buyers. Last year, it tested 3,050 samples of obesity drugs, up from just over 650 samples in 2023. "We're testing hundreds of these every week," said Magic, whose company helps customers navigate customs requirements for shipping chemicals.
