A daily pill can lead to faster weight loss in three months than Wegovy, according to a study.
Early trials of amicretin showed it helped patients lose an average of 13 percent of their body weight in 12 weeks, compared with 6 percent for those who got the injection.
Experts believe the drug could become a “convenient” alternative to current vaccines and form an important part of the next generation of anti-obesity drugs.
Developed by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, behind Ozempic, the pill works by mimicking the action of two peptide hormones that regulate hunger and blood sugar levels, in a single molecule.
GLP-1 is the same hormone targeted by semaglutide and tirzepatide, the key ingredients in Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.
Developed by Danish pharmaceutical giants Novo Nordisk behind Ozempic and Wegovy, the pill works by mimicking the action of two peptide hormones that regulate hunger and blood sugar levels, in a single molecule.
GLP-1 is the same hormone targeted by semaglutide and tirzepatide, the key ingredients in Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.
In early human trials, patients were given either the drug at different doses that were gradually increased over time, or a placebo.
Those taking 50 mg doses of amicretin generally reduced their body weight by 10.4 percent within 12 weeks of treatment.
Others who received the maximum daily dose of two 50 mg tablets lost an average of 13.1 percent, according to results presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Madrid.
This compares with an average weight loss of 1.1 percent among those taking the dummy drug.
The authors conclude: ‘A single molecule that targets both amylin and GLP-1 biology in tablet form could offer a more convenient approach to achieving better outcomes for people who are overweight or obese.
“However, larger and longer studies are needed to fully evaluate the safety profile and potential of the drug.”
Early trials of amicretin showed it helped patients lose an average of 13 percent of their body weight in 12 weeks, compared with 6 percent for those who received the injection.
Importantly, weight loss had not reached a plateau by the end of the 12-week period, suggesting that greater weight loss would occur with prolonged use.
Further large-scale studies are now underway in the hope that the drug could be available in as little as two years.
Side effects were similar to those of other weight-loss drugs, including nausea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal problems, according to researchers at the Novo Research Group in the U.S.
Naveed Sattar, professor of cardiometabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow who was not involved in the study, said:
‘This early-stage research on a novel oral combination is exciting given the speed of weight loss observed.
‘However, much larger-scale trials will be needed in the future to test such drugs, including their effect on disease outcomes.’