New 'fat destructing' weight loss jab could have major impact for people on Mounjaro and Ozempic
A new treatment could mean major changes are on the horizon for those who currently rely on Mounjaro or Ozempic to help them manage their weight.
That’s because the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the US is currently running clinical trials for a brand-new fat reduction treatment that uses a different method to target fat.
Researchers reported the findings at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Milan, Italy on 1 October.
Instead of shrinking fat cells like many of the on-the-market injections do, the injectable CBL-514 reduces both subcutaneous and visceral fat by killing off the cells entirely.
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Known as the ‘fat you can pinch’, subcutaneous fat, per the Cleveland Clinic, it is 'found just under your skin’ and when a person has too much of it, it can lead ‘to serious health issues including heart disease, diabetes, stroke and more.’
However, visceral fat is that which is around your organs and is harder to remove and much more dangerous for your health.
According to the team, the phase 2 clinical trials showed that the drug was effective in removing both when used by the majority of participants.
While the drug hasn’t been peer reviewed, the results seem promising.
The two phase 2 trials, named CBL-0204 and CBL-0205, saw107 and 173 participants take CBL-514.
In both, it was found to reduce subcutaneous fat in the majority of the groups.
As for those who were given the drug for up to 12 weeks, they were discovered to have seen average reduction of 12.01 percent in visceral fat, compared to the 5.68 percent increase in fat seen in those who took a placebo four weeks after their final injection.
"We expect that patients will be pleased by the cosmetic effects, such as the flatter stomach that can come with subcutaneous fat loss," said endocrinologist Timothy Garvey, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
"But it is the reduction in body weight, loss of visceral fat and the improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and the like that should be associated with this that will be important for health."
CBL-514 was originally developed to remove fatty lumps under the skin called lipomas. However, the research suggests that the drug has been effective at both decreasing weight and making it harder to gain once the treatment has stopped.
"This is a highly innovative approach to obesity pharmacotherapy that has produced some remarkable results in early human trials," added Garvey.
For now, the team hopes they will be able to conduct an even bigger trial to see the impact on a larger scale.
If it proves to be successful, CBL-514 could be the latest weight-loss drug on the market which rivals the current frontrunners from Novo Nordisk (Ozempic and Wegovy) and Eli Lilly (Mounjaro).
Ozempic is a type 2 diabetes management treatment that is a GLP-1 medication.
However, many people, including high-profile celebrities, have been finding success with the jabs to lose weight thanks to its ability to also target the brain’s appetite receptor.
LADbible reached out to Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly for comment.
Britt Jones