Leicester researchers review next generation of obesity treatments
A team of Leicester researchers have published a review exploring a new generation of medicines that could transform treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The review looks at a new type of medication called retatrutide, the first triple agonist drug, which targets three hormone systems in the body at once to help regulate appetite, blood sugar and energy use. The hormones GLP-1, GIP and glucagon work together to control hunger, metabolism, and how the body burns calories.
Carried out by researchers funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and based at the Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC), the review has been published in Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports.
Dr Jonathan Goldney, LHIIP Wellcome Trust Doctoral Training Fellow, said: “Clinical trials show that people taking retatrutide lost 24% of their body weight on average after 48 weeks of treatment, which is higher than weight loss observed with current obesity treatments.
“The review also reports that participants showed improvements in blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and liver fat, with no major safety concerns.”
Dr Dimitris Papamargaritis, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Leicester and Consultant in Diabetes and Obesity Medicine at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: “Obesity is a long-term condition that can affect many aspects of health. While lifestyle changes can help, medication can make a real difference for people who struggle to maintain weight loss. Retatrutide and other triple-agonist drugs show early signs of being the possibly the most effective medical treatments for obesity so far.”
The review also discusses how these new medicines could help reduce complications linked to obesity, including fatty liver disease, sleep apnoea and heart disease.
The research was supported by the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre and the Wellcome Trust Leicestershire Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Research Partnership.
The NIHR Leicester BRC is part of the NIHR and hosted by the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in partnership with the University of Leicester, Loughborough University and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group.
For more information about the NIHR Leicester BRC visit www.leicesterbrc.nihr.ac.uk
Stock image for illustrative purposes.
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