An injection made with two anti-obesity drugs instead of one may be better than Ozempic for weight loss.
The experimental treatment contains two drugs that target different areas of the brain to curb appetite. In tests with mice, the combination therapy doubled the amount of weight some lost compared to using Ozempic alone. The injection also appears to cause lasting changes in the brain, such that appetite remains reduced after treatment ends.
This is one of the drawbacks of famous slimming drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy (which contain different doses of the active drug semaglutide). These work by mimicking the effects of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which the gut releases after eating to send a message to the brain that we are full.
The drugs activate GLP-1 receptors in the brain, so they register fullness in the stomach after a minimal amount of food.
As a result, most people feel full after a few bites. But the drugs only work if they continue to be taken, meaning some patients could end up taking them for life.
The experimental treatment contains two drugs that target different areas of the brain to curb appetite. In tests with mice, the combination therapy doubled the amount of weight lost compared to using Ozempic alone.
In a new approach, scientists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark fused semaglutide with a drug called dizocilpine. Studies found that it was also an effective appetite suppressant, by blocking a receptor in the brain called NMDA.
Britain has the highest obesity rates in Western Europe. Almost 26 per cent of adults in England were classed as obese (with a body mass index of 30 or more) according to the Health Survey for England 2021.
In a new approach, scientists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark fused semaglutide with a drug called dizocilpine, which was developed more than 40 years ago to treat seizures caused by conditions such as epilepsy.
Studies found that it was also an effective appetite suppressant, by blocking a receptor in the brain called NMDA. This is the receptor that glutamate, a brain chemical associated with appetite stimulation, typically binds to. By blocking the receptor, the drug prevents this effect.
But dizocilpine was never mass produced because studies showed it caused damage (or scarring) to the brain and caused hallucinations.
However, the Copenhagen team found that it was safe and effective when used in much smaller doses than for seizures, and together with semaglutide in a single injection.
Results published in Nature last month showed that mice injected with the two-in-one drug lost twice as much weight as those given semaglutide alone.
Britain has the highest obesity rates in Western Europe. Almost 26 per cent of adults in England were classed as obese (with a body mass index of 30 or more) according to the Health Survey for England 2021 (file image)
Alex Miras, clinical professor of medicine at the University of Ulster and an expert in obesity treatment, said: “This is very exciting – it’s a clever combination of two mechanisms that, combined, can cause weight loss.”
Mice given the combination injection lost 20 percent of their total body weight in 14 days, compared to about 9 percent if they were given semaglutide alone.
They also continued to eat less when treatment was stopped.
It is thought this may be because dizocilpine has been shown to strengthen nerve connections in the brain, so new learned behaviours, such as eating less, become permanent.
The researchers have formed a spin-off company, called Ousia Pharma, to further develop the slimming superdrug in the coming years.
Alex Miras, clinical professor of medicine at the University of Ulster and an expert in obesity treatment, said: “This is very exciting – it’s a clever combination of two mechanisms that, combined, can cause weight loss.” But we need to find out if it works as well in humans as in mice.’