Latest news with #ATR258
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists develop 'Holy Grail' weight loss jab that burns fat without affecting appetite or muscle mass
A new fat-busting pill could help patients lose weight without suffering the brutal side effects associated with some slimming treatments, experts revealed today. Diet pills have a chequered history and only one is approved for NHS use in the UK — Xenical — which is not hugely popular because of its mode of operation. The drug stops fat being absorbed, so that it passes straight through the body. However, this process can give rise to unpleasant stomach or bowel issues like diarrhoea, which studies suggest have caused people to stop taking it. Yet, in a first round human trial slimmers in Sweden taking the new drug—currently known as ATR-258—found they burnt fat yet preserved muscle mass. Weight loss jab users on Mounjaro and Wegovy, by contrast, have reported losing muscle as well as fat leaving them feeling weaker or saggy. Experts hope the experimental treatment could be the next big breakthrough in the fight against obesity as it is likely to appeal to a wider audience who are uncomfortable with injecting themselves. Professor Tore Bengtsson, an expert in molecular bioscience at Stockholm University and founder of Atrogi, which manufactures the drug, said: 'This pill can actively reshape body composition, reducing fat while preserving muscle mass, all without requiring dietary restriction. That's unprecedented.' He added: '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 drug works by triggering the metabolism in the muscles, activating them to burn more fat. This is different to injections like Mounajro, which disrupts signals between the gut and the brain, keeping patients feeling fuller for longer. In the study, published in the journal Cell, 48 healthy volunteers and 25 with type two diabetes trialled the tablet and saw similar results to prior tests on animals. Researchers found the drug was safe and aided weight loss without overstimulating the heart and other muscles. It will now be tested in wider trials involving more volunteers. Study co-author and pharmacology expert at the Karolinska Institute, Professor Shane Wright, said: '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.' Last year, a sobering report suggested Britain's spiraling obesity levels have fuelled a staggering 39 per cent rise in type 2 diabetes among people under 40. In the UK, over 5 million people are living with diabetes, with around 90 per cent having type 2 diabetes—which occurs when the body doesn't make enough insulin or the insulin it makes doesn't work properly. This hormone is needed to bring down blood sugar levels. At least half a million NHS patients and some 15million patients in the US are now thought to be using weight-loss jabs, which can help patients lose up to 20 per cent of their body weight in just a few months. And the numbers using them privately are even higher. It comes as obese patients in England, from today, will be able to access the so-called 'King Kong' of weight loss jabs, Mounjaro free of charge from their GP. The weekly injection will be offered to around 220,000 people over the next three years under new NHS prescribing rules. However, like any drug, side effects are wide-ranging and include issues like nausea and abdominal pain as well as severe digestive problems and even bone pain.
The Sun
10 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
Fat loss pill that can help you ‘lose weight AND tone up' set to rival jabs
A PILL to make you buff is a step nearer to reality as inventors move onto the next phase of human trials. Scientists say the drug, currently known as ATR-258, can burn off fat but save muscle. 1 It would overcome an issue with fat jabs such as Mounjaro which shrink muscle as well as flab. This can leave people weak and make them look more skinny or saggy. Preserving muscle while fat burns off could help slimmers stay toned, as well as boosting their health. Professor Tore Bengtsson, founder of manufacturer Atrogi, said: 'This pill can actively reshape body composition, reducing fat while preserving muscle mass, all without requiring dietary restriction. 'That's unprecedented.' Large human trial to test effects The drug was invented to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes. Results of the first phase trial, on 48 patients, were published in the journal Cell and showed it was safe for humans to take. Prof Bengtsson, also of Stockholm University, now plans to trial it on a bigger group of overweight people to see if it works as well as it did in animal studies. It functions by triggering the metabolism in the muscles, activating them to burn more fat. This is different to injections like Ozempic, which use hormones in the brain to banish hunger. Two thirds of adults in the UK are overweight or obese and the issue has rocketed since the 1990s. Prof Bengtsson 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.' NHS MOUNJARO ROLLOUT BEGINS FROM Monday, June 23, so-called 'fat jabs' will be made available to many more Brits on the NHS. GPs will begin prescribing the weight-loss jab Mounjaro in the first anti- obesity rollout of its kind. Previously it was only available for type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy was distributed by specialist slimming clinics. Top of the list for prescriptions will be those with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher and four weight-related health conditions. A BMI of 40 is roughly equal to weighing 16st (102kg) for an average height 5'3' woman, or 19st 6lbs (123kg) for an average 5'9' man. Weight-related conditions include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease. Patients will likely be expected to have tried diet and exercise first before being offered a jab. Many are likely to miss out, as some 13.5million adults in England are obese but only 3.4million are estimated to be eligible in the rollout.
