Researchers Revive Decades-Old Drug to Fight Obesity
Researchers at UC Berkeley have identified a 1970s-era compound called TOFA that shows promise in treating obesity by increasing energy expenditure rather than suppressing appetite. In mouse studies, the drug reduced body weight and improved metabolic health without the gastrointestinal side effects associated with modern GLP-1 medications.
Why it matters
Finding alternatives to current weight-loss drugs could address significant side-effect profiles and provide new pathways for treating metabolic diseases.
Scientists have identified a decades-old chemical compound as a promising new candidate for treating obesity and related metabolic diseases.
TOFA helps cells burn extra energy with no change in food intake or exercise. Image credit: Kravaivan11.
Over the past five years, medications called GLP-1s have revolutionized the treatment of metabolic disorders like obesity, diabetes and fatty liver diseases.
Sold under the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, these drugs are highly effective at helping people lose weight and manage their blood sugar levels.
However, they do come with some risks. Some people taking GLP-1s experience nausea and other gastrointestinal side effects that can be difficult to manage.
And, by suppressing appetite and reducing food intake, they have the potential to cause nutritional deficiencies and muscle loss, which can lead to frailty and other problems long term.
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