A new kind of diabetes treatment may offer big benefits — without the needle, nausea or muscle loss.
In a study published in Cell, researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University introduced a new pill that helps lower blood sugar and boost fat burning by targeting how muscles burn energy. Unlike GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, which reduce hunger by signaling between the gut and brain, this medication works directly on muscle metabolism and may avoid many of the unpleasant side effects.
“Our results point to a future where we can improve metabolic health without losing muscle mass,” said Tore Bengtsson, professor at Stockholm University. “Muscles are important in both type 2 diabetes and obesity, and muscle mass is also directly correlated with life expectancy.”
In early testing, the drug was well tolerated in 48 healthy adults and 25 people with type 2 diabetes. It improved blood sugar control and body composition without causing loss of appetite, muscle wasting or digestive problems — issues often seen with injectable GLP-1 medications.
The pill is based on a lab-designed molecule that safely activates fat-burning signals in the body. Past versions of this kind of drug overstimulated the heart, but the new version avoids that risk thanks to a different biological pathway.
“This drug represents a completely new type of treatment and has the potential to be of great importance for patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity,” said Shane C. Wright, assistant professor at Karolinska Institutet. “Our substance appears to promote healthy weight loss and, in addition, patients do not have to take injections.”
The researchers say the drug could also work alongside GLP-1 treatments, since it affects the body in a different way.
“This makes them valuable both as a stand-alone treatment and in combination with GLP-1 drugs,” Wright added.
A larger follow-up study is being planned by Atrogi AB, the company developing the medication, to see if these early benefits hold true for more people.
This research was funded by the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Society for Medical Research and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The clinical trial was funded by Atrogi AB, a company in which several study authors are employed or hold shares. Tore Bengtsson is the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Atrogi AB and has applied for patents related to the study.