'Gastric bypass in a pill' helps weight loss without side effects, inventors say
Obesity conference hears how daily pill causes food digestion to bypass part of the stomach so fewer calories are actually absorbed by the body
A 'gastric bypass in a pill' could help dieters feel full quicker and shed pounds, inventors say.
The new daily tablet produces a coating at the top of the intestine, moving digestion to the lower part where fullness hormones are triggered.
Manufacturer Syntis Bio reckons it could become 'the go to drug for weight management' as it will have fewer side effects than powerful appetite-suppressing injections.
Gastric bypass operations have been performed by the NHS on the dangerously obese for over 20 years. They involve creating a small stomach pouch and directly connecting it to the small intestine, bypassing the rest of the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine. This reduces the body's ability to absorb calories and causes the release of key hormones.
A new study, presented at the European Obesity Congress in Malaga, Spain, trialled a pill which works in the same way. It activates an enzyme in the gut to create a temporary coating in the top part of the intestine. Food cannot be absorbed through the coating and it directs it to lower parts of the intestines. Participants feel full before they have absorbed much of the food, so eat less.
Researcher Rahul Dhanda, president of Syntis Bio, said: 'We make this to restrict absorption in the top part of the intestine, while the lower part of the intestine remains fully functional and unobstructed. The intestine is two to three metres long and this covers roughly 15cm at the top of it. It's about directing absorption to the lower intestine.'
Glucose tolerance tests revealed delayed uptake of glucose and at 30 and 60 minutes, glucose absorption was far lower than in untreated patients. This delay suggests that absorption occurs later in the intestine, as expected, rather than in the coated region of the duodenum.
The pilot study was not designed to measure weight loss, but participants receiving a full dose of the pill, currently called SYNT-101, also received blood tests to look at hormones linked to feelings of fullness. They showed elevated levels of leptin and lower levels of ghrelin, consistent with reduced food intake.
The early stage trial suggested the drug is safe and the manufacturers believe it will come with fewer, if any, side effects when compared to weight loss injections. However more trials are needed to prove this and if it brings about sustained weight loss.
Mr Dhanda said: 'What this does is integrate with the mucosal membrane which is naturally excreted by the body, and this goes along with it. You take the pill once a day in the morning and it should be cleared by the next morning or evening, depending on the patient.
'I anticipate the side effects to be minimal to none, and we haven't seen any yet in human tests. That is because we're not entering the bloodstream like injections do. It's a mechanical molecule so it's like we're inserting a stent, as opposed to a drug that is acting with the target and also off the target.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
26 minutes ago
- Telegraph
NHS ‘to rely on migrants' as Government cuts British nurse training
The Government has cut funding for nursing courses in a move that risks undermining its pledge to end the NHS's reliance on foreign workers. Ministers have quietly frozen grants that are paid to universities to help them cover the higher costs of training medical workers. Critics reacted by warning that the move, which represents a real-terms cut, would ' worsen an already difficult situatio n' in the sector and 'leave us more reliant' on imported labour. It will also prompt fears of further cuts down the line, with education set to be one of the losers in Rachel Reeves's spending review this week. Universities are already struggling to keep nursing courses afloat, with research showing that many are cutting lecturer jobs to save cash. In last year's manifesto, Labour pledged to 'end the long-term reliance on overseas workers' with a 'workforce and training plan' for the NHS. However, Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, has now frozen grants which are paid to universities to cover the extra costs of running medical courses. Those include courses for nursing, midwifery and 'allied health professionals' such as paramedics, radiographers and occupational therapists. In a letter to the Office for Students, she said the per-student funding levels should be kept the same as last year, representing a real-terms cut. That is part of an overall reduction of £108 million in the cash that has been made available for the Strategic Priorities Grant this year. Patricia Marquis, the executive director for the Royal College of Nursing in England, said nursing courses were already under threat from the 'financial crisis' at universities. 'A freeze in per student funding, effectively a real-terms cut, could make a bad situation worse, resulting in not only more job losses, but impacting the very financial viability of nursing courses,' she warned. 'University courses are the single biggest route into the profession, and this would be a disaster. Additional funding should be released to protect nursing courses in response to rising costs.' 'A detrimental impact' on training Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of Universities UK, also warned that the cuts to the grant risked 'worsening an already difficult situation'. She said that the move, combined with a recent decision to slash cash for apprenticeships, would have a 'detrimental impact on training our healthcare workforce'. 'Universities are committed to delivering what this country needs, including a strong and sustainable NHS workforce, and are crucial to training talent,' she said. 'We can't create a future-proof NHS workforce without long-term, sustained investment from the government.' Ms Phillipson said in her letter to the OfS that universities should prioritise funding for nursing courses as 'a strategically important subject'. She targeted grants for other courses and in particular media studies and journalism, which have been derided by some as 'Mickey Mouse' degrees. But despite that, it appears there was still only enough money in the pot for her to restrict the hit to medical courses to a real-terms cut. Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, said the move was 'yet more evidence that Labour aren't serious about cutting immigration'. 'At a time when we should be training more British people to become nurses, they've cut teaching grants for universities and scrapped almost all higher-level apprenticeships, leaving an 11,000 shortfall in the NHS workforce plan,' she said. 'These decisions will leave us more reliant on foreign labour, when we should be training British people for British jobs.' The Department for Education is facing steep real-terms cuts to its budget when the Chancellor unveils her spending review on Wednesday. She will set out the annual funding totals that all Whitehall departments receive from next year until almost the end of the decade. Most are expecting to see their budgets squeezed to free up more cash for health and defence, which will be the two big winners. Within education, the schools budget is ring-fenced, meaning it cannot be cut. Early years provision, meanwhile, is a flagship Labour policy with the party pledging to fund the creation of 100,000 new nursery places. A Government spokesman said: 'We hugely value the work of talented nurses and midwives which is why we have prioritised Strategic Priorities Grant funding for important, high-cost courses, including nursing and midwifery, that are vital for economic growth and our Plan for Change. 'The dire situation we inherited has meant this Government must take tough decisions to put universities on a firmer financial footing and we're continuing to support them, including by increasing the amount they can charge in tuition fees. 'We are rebuilding the NHS for the benefit of patient and staff, and ensuring nursing remains an attractive career choice, including by unveiling a refreshed workforce plan to ensure we have the right staff in the right place so the NHS can be there for everyone.'
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Girl told lumps in breasts were likely hormonal dies after cancer diagnosis
Isla Sneddon, a 17-year-old, died of breast cancer after an urgent referral was downgraded due to her age, despite initial concerns and painful lumps. In 2022, at age 14, Isla was told her breast lumps were likely hormonal; when she returned in 2024 at age 16, an urgent referral was downgraded in line with national guidelines that treat patients under 30 with suspected cancer as routine. Her family is advocating for a review of urgent cancer referrals, arguing that earlier, more aggressive treatment, similar to that of adults, might have saved her life. After the downgraded referral, a biopsy revealed a likely benign tumor, but Isla's condition deteriorated, leading to a diagnosis of sarcoma, which had spread from her breast to her heart, lungs, and lymph nodes. Isla's family is calling on the Scottish government and NHS Scotland to ensure paediatric referrals have the same maximum wait times as adults, with follow-ups for downgraded or delayed referrals, and clearer guidelines for recognising cancer signs in young adults and children.
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
My hair was damaged from bleach but now it's so thick and long – it's all thanks to the simple weekly step I never miss
Read on for more hair loss tips HAIR THIS My hair was damaged from bleach but now it's so thick and long – it's all thanks to the simple weekly step I never miss Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN has shared the weekly routine she swears by to keep her locks healthy and thick. Fleur Green, from the UK, took to social media to share the routine and the hair oils she swears by. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Fleur shared how she got her damaged hair thick and long again Credit: 2 She swore by two oils to keep her hair in good condition Credit: In the clip, she said: "I've gone from essentially a long bleached blonde, snapped off bob to Rapunzel." "I'm gonna show you the products which I've used consistently, which has helped me achieve this," Fleur added. First, the hair whizz gave her hair a brush to get rid of any tangles. Next, she took two hair oils - rosemary and batana oil and blended them together. She put them in a hair oiling tool that allows you to comb it through your scalp with ease. "Batana oil is super rich in antioxidants and fatty acids," she explained. "So if you're somebody like me who used to suffer with super dry, brittle hair, or like you've run your fingers through it and it'd be super prone to snapping off, this cocktail of hair oils is gonna be amazing for you." Fleur used Nature's Spells hair oils, which are already diluted to make them safe to apply to the scalp. She evenly applied the oil to her scalp before using her fingers to massage it in and promote blood circulation. Any leftover oil was then applied to the ends of her hair. Kyle Richards' daughter Sophia, 25, reveals her hair is falling out after taking weight loss drug saying 'I'm gonna be bald!' Fleur then went on to use a hair mask on the rest of her hair before putting it into a low ponytail and letting the products sit for a few hours. The beauty fan said the combination had kept her hair thick and healthy and people were eager to try it out. The clip went viral on her TikTok account @fleureleanorgreen with over 2.5 million views. One person wrote: "You got me to get the batana oil, I've noticed the difference already." Hair loss tips We can lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, according to the NHS. It is not usually something to worry about, but occasional it can be a sign of a medical concern. These include illness, stress, cancer treatment, weight loss and iron deficiency. The NHS advises to book an appointment with your GP to see if you can get to the cause of it. Experts at American Academy of Dermatology Association also recommend to eat healthy, limit curling irons and only use them for special occasions. They also recommend using a gentle shampoo, and make use of leave-in conditioners. Another commented: 'You have the most incredible hair girl." "Absolutely love these hair oils and hair brush," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "Wow need to copy this routine." "Your hair is unreal,' claimed a fifth. Someone else added: 'Hair oiling has helped my hair grow so much faster I fear I have too much now."
