Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk says it has developed a compound that’s shown to be a one-two punch for appetite suppression and weight loss in mice.
Ozempic promotes weight loss by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone the body naturally produces after eating, so users feel full for longer. This new potential therapy harnesses the power of GLP-1 while activating the receptor for leptin, a hormone released by fat cells that signals the brain that eating should stop because enough energy has been stored.
“Leptin augments weight loss when used in combination with other weight loss agents, including [GLP-1 drugs],” the team from Novo Nordisk and the University of Michigan wrote in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. “This observation suggests that using leptin as part of combinatorial therapies represents a potential approach to the more efficacious treatment of obesity.”
In developing the daily injection, the researchers built upon knowledge of neurons in mice brains that respond to signals for GLP-1 and leptin. They found similar neurons in rhesus monkeys.
The researchers say they haven’t determined if humans have the same neurons that can be targeted with this therapy to reduce food intake and body weight.
“The goal of this paper was not to determine the viability of this approach in humans,” Randy Seeley, a professor of surgery, internal medicine and nutritional sciences at the University of Michigan School of Medicine, told The Post.
“Rather the goal here was to prove that this kind of molecule could produce weight loss in a mouse where leptin by itself does not,” Seeley added. “We also set out to prove that both the leptin and GLP-1 parts of the molecule were essential for the weight loss.”
Seeley said the team’s paper “sets a standard for how the scientific community should explore the mechanisms” of this dual approach.
The research follows a KFF Health Tracking Poll in May in which 12% of adults reported taking a GLP-1 drug at some point. Six percent said they are currently using one.
There are a variety of GLP-1 drugs on the market to treat obesity or Type 2 diabetes. Ozempic and Wegovy contain semaglutide, while Zepbound and Mounjaro contain tirzepatide and Victoza has liraglutide.
These drugs differ in their dosage schedules and weight loss effects. Novo Nordisk is also developing a weight loss pill, amycretin, that led to 13.1% weight loss in 12 weeks in overweight or obese people during a phase 1 trial.
