A newly developed pill could offer a fresh approach to treating type 2 diabetes and obesity. Early research suggests it may help lower blood sugar and increase fat burning without reducing appetite or causing muscle loss, two common concerns associated with some current weight loss medications.
The findings, published in the journal Cell, come from researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University.
A Different Approach From GLP-1 Drugs
Unlike popular GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, which are delivered by injection and work by influencing appetite signals between the gut and brain, the new treatment takes a completely different path.
Instead of targeting hunger, the experimental drug activates metabolism inside skeletal muscle. Researchers say this approach improved blood sugar regulation and body composition in animal studies while avoiding several side effects often linked to GLP-1 therapies, including appetite suppression, muscle loss, and digestive issues.
The treatment is taken as a tablet rather than an injection.
Early Human Trial Shows Promising Results
The researchers also conducted an initial Phase I clinical trial involving 48 healthy volunteers and 25 people with type 2 diabetes. According to the study, participants tolerated 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.
Designed to Boost Muscle Metabolism
The drug is built around a laboratory-developed molecule known as a β2 agonist. Researchers engineered the compound to activate important signaling pathways in a new way that benefits muscle tissue without excessively stimulating the heart, a challenge that has historically limited the use of β2 agonists.
“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,” says Shane C. Wright, assistant professor at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at Karolinska Institutet, who is one of the researchers behind the study.
Potential to Work Alone or With Existing Drugs
Because the new treatment works differently from GLP-1 medications, researchers believe it could be useful both on its own and alongside existing therapies.
“This makes them valuable both as a stand-alone treatment and in combination with GLP-1 drugs,” says Shane C. Wright.
The next step will be a larger Phase II clinical trial led by Atrogi AB, the company developing the drug. Researchers hope to determine whether the benefits observed in preclinical studies can be replicated in people living with type 2 diabetes or obesity.
International Collaboration and Funding
The research involved scientists from Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm University, Uppsala University, the University of Copenhagen, Monash University, and the University of Queensland.
Funding was provided by several organizations, including the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Society for Medical Research, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
Several authors of the study are employed by Atrogi AB and/or own shares in the company, which funded the clinical trial. Tore Bengtsson is the founder and chief scientific officer of Atrogi AB and, together with a co-author, has applied for patents related to the compounds investigated in the research. Additional company affiliations and potential conflicts of interest are detailed in the published study.