Scientists at Pennsylvania State University have created a new class of compounds that can produce weight loss comparable to bariatric surgery to reduce stomach volume without causing the nausea and vomiting associated with modern weight loss and diabetes medications. The results were presented at the American Chemical Society ACS Spring 2023 meeting.
Gastric bypass and other similar surgeries allow obese patients to permanently lose weight and even get rid of type 2 diabetes. But these operations are risky and not suitable for everyone. There are also drugs that reduce appetite, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY). They promote weight loss and normalize blood sugar levels. However, due to side effects (nausea and vomiting), 80 to 90% of people stop taking the drugs within the first year.
To overcome this shortcoming, the authors of the new study created a peptide that activates two receptors for the PYY peptide, as well as one for the GLP-1 peptide. This compound, called GEP44, causes obese mice to eat 80% less than normal. After 16 days of testing, animals lost an average of 12% of their weight – three times more than GLP-1-treated rats.
Experiments on shrews (mammals that can vomit unlike rats) showed no signs of nausea or vomiting.
The scientists reported that the weight loss induced by GEP44 may be associated not only with a decrease in the amount of food, but also with a higher energy expenditure. The drug also reduced blood sugar levels and rat cravings for opioids. If this effect is also found in humans, the drug could be used to treat opioid addiction.