New drug for diabetes and obesity shows promising results

Lower blood sugar and increased fat burning - without negatively affecting appetite or muscle mass. These are some of the most promising effects of a new potential drug treatment for people with type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to a new study published in the journal Cell by researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University.

The new drug, which is taken in tablet form, has a completely different mechanism of action than the well-known GLP-1-based drugs, such as Ozempic, which is administered via injections. GLP-1 drugs affect hunger via signals between the gut and the brain, but often have side effects such as loss of appetite, reduced muscle mass, and gastrointestinal problems.

The new substance instead activates metabolism in skeletal muscle. In animal studies, the treatment has shown good effects on both blood sugar control and body composition, but without the side effects associated with today's GLP-1-based drugs.

An initial phase I clinical trial involving 48 healthy subjects and 25 people with type 2 diabetes shows that humans also tolerate the treatment well.

"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," says one of the researchers behind the study, Tore Bengtsson, professor at the Department of Molecular Bioscience, Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University.