Latest news with #AtrogiAB
New York Post
13 hours ago
- Health
- New York Post
Ozempic without the side effects? New drug touted as weight loss game changer
There's no doubt that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic have been revolutionary — not just for people who want to lower their blood sugar and lose weight but for those who want to control other cravings as well. Unfortunately, sometimes these benefits come with unsightly downsides such as tooth decay, a droopy face or mouth, a saggy butt and hair loss. While many of those side effects are due to rapid weight loss — rather than the drugs themselves — the medications are known to cause icky gastrointestinal issues. People on drugs like Ozempic have complained about some unpleasant side effects, including tooth decay, a droopy face or mouth, a saggy butt and hair loss. K KStock – Now, a groundbreaking new drug has shown some of the same promise in melting belly fat — without making your stomach churn. This week in the journal Cell, researchers unveiled a drug — developed by the Sweden biotechnology company Atrogi AB — based on a type of special molecule. While GLP-1s mimic the GLP-1 hormone the body naturally produces after eating to suppress appetite, this new drug activates metabolism in skeletal muscle. In a Phase I clinical trial involving 25 people with Type 2 diabetes and 48 healthy humans, the drug was successful at improving blood sugar levels and weight — without those pesky GLP-1 side effects. Since most GLP-1s are injectables, the fact that this medication comes in tablet form could be groundbreaking to trypanophobes. Since most GLP-1s are injectables, the fact that this medication comes in tablet form could also be groundbreaking to anyone who is afraid of needles. í¢í°í½í íÅí¸í°í¸íâíÅ½í° – '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,' Shane C. Wright, assistant professor at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, said in a statement. 'Our substance appears to promote healthy weight loss and, in addition, patients do not have to take injections.' Wright noted that the drug can be used 'as a stand-alone treatment and in combination with GLP-1 drugs.' This can be a game changer for people who are micro-dosing drugs like Ozempic due to the sky-high costs. It could also be impactful now that the Food and Drug Administration has cracked down on Ozempic copycats, potentially slimming options for consumers who have come to rely on budget-friendly alternatives. Finally, researchers say the drug can boost weight loss without negatively influencing muscle mass or overworking the heart — both crucial longevity markers. 'Our results point to a future where we can improve metabolic health without losing muscle mass,' said Tore Bengtsson, a professor at the Department of Molecular Bioscience at Wenner-Gren Institute in Stockholm. 'Muscles are important in both Type 2 diabetes and obesity, and muscle mass is also directly correlated with life expectancy.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
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.
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Ozempic Alternative May Offer Weight Loss Without Injections or Muscle Loss
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new weight loss pill currently undergoing clinical trials could help burn fat and lower blood sugar levels like Ozempic and similar GLP-1 agonists, but without muscles loss as a potential side-effect. This is the conclusion of a new study by an international team of researchers led from the biotech firm Atrogi AB. "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," said paper author professor Shane Wright of the Karolinska Institutet in a statement. "Our substance appears to promote health aging weight loss—and, in addition, patients do not have to take injections." Stock image of weight loss pills. Stock image of weight loss pills. celsopupo/iStock / Getty Images Plus GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic work, in part, by altering gut-brain signals to decrease hunger; however, their side effects can include a loss in muscle mass. The new drug, in contrast, is a type of so-called "β2 agonist" which works by activating signaling pathways in the body in such a way that has a positive effect on muscles. Unlike existing β2 agonists, however, it does not have the drawback of overstimulating the heart. In mice models of diabetes and rat models of obesity, the drug has demonstrated benefits for both body composition and blood sugar control. "Our results point to a future where we can improve metabolic health without losing muscle mass," said paper co-author and Stockholm University molecular biologist professor Tore Bengtsson in a statement. "Muscles are important in both type 2 diabetes and obesity—and muscle mass is also directly correlated with life expectancy." While the effectiveness of the new treatment has yet to be evaluated in humans, a phase I clinical trial (which involved 48 healthy subjects and 25 people with type 2 diabetes) has shown that the drug is well-tolerated in humans. A further advantage of the new drug, the team explained, is that because it has a different mechanism of action to Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonists, they could be taken together. "This makes them valuable both as a stand-alone treatment and in combination with GLP-1 drugs," explained Wright. With this initial study complete, researchers are now looking to undertake a larger clinical study to see if the drug offers the same benefits to humans with type 2 diabetes or obesity as it did in the mice models of these conditions. Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about weight loss medication? Let us know via health@ Reference Motso, A., Pelcman, B., Kalinovich, A., Kahlous, N. A., Bokhari, M. H., Dehvari, N., Halleskog, C., Waara, E., de Jong, J., Cheesman, E., Kallenberg, C., Yakala, G. K., Murad, P., Wetterdal, E., Andersson, P., van Beek, S., Sandström, A., Alleluia, D. N., Talamonti, E., Youhanna, S., Sabatier, P., Koenig, C., Willems, S., Kemas, A. M., Hutchinson, D. S., Ham, S., Grätz, L., Voss, J., Marchan-Alvarez, J. G., Priede, M., Jaunsleine, K., Spura, J., Kovada, V., Supe, L., Stoddart, L. A., Holliday, N. D., Newton, P. T., Pillon, N. J., Schulte, G., Summers, R. J., Mutule, I., Suna, E., Olsen, J. V., Molenaar, P., Carlsson, J., Lauschke, V. M., Wright, S. C., & Bengtsson, T. (2025). GRK-biased adrenergic agonists for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Cell.
