New Discovery Promises Weight Loss Without Ozempic's Side Effects

A new study from Stanford Medicine has identified a naturally occurring molecule that researchers have said is similar to semaglutide, the active ingredient in drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.

Why It Matters

According to a Gallup poll released last year, 6 percent of U.S. adults, or 15.5 million people, have either used or are currently using an injectable diabetes medication, with 3 percent specifically using the drug to lose weight.

Despite its widespread usage, weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy can have serious side effects including inflammation of the pancreas, changes in vision including a risk of blindness and increased risk of thyroid cancer, among others.

What To Know

Stanford Medicine researchers have identified a naturally occurring molecule, BRP, that mimics the appetite-suppressing effects of semaglutide while potentially avoiding some of its side effects, such as nausea, constipation, and muscle loss.

BRP operates through a different metabolic pathway than semaglutide, targeting specific neurons in the brain rather than affecting multiple organs like the gut and pancreas. This discovery could lead to a more targeted approach to weight loss with fewer adverse effects.

The study, published in Nature on March 5 and detailed in a press release from Stanford Medicine, leveraged artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze a class of proteins known as prohormones, which can be cleaved into smaller peptides that regulate biological processes.

The researchers focused on the enzyme prohormone convertase 1/3, which plays a role in obesity and produces peptides like GLP-1, the target of semaglutide.

Using an AI algorithm called Peptide Predictor, they screened human protein-coding genes to identify potential new peptides involved in metabolism

Laboratory tests revealed that BRP significantly increased neuronal activity in lab-grown cells, surpassing the effects of GLP-1. In animal trials, BRP reduced food intake by up to 50 percent in lean mice and minipigs, which have metabolism and eating patterns closer to humans. In obese mice, 14 days of BRP treatment led to fat loss without changes in behavior, anxiety levels, or fecal production.

Unlike semaglutide, BRP appeared to activate separate metabolic and neuronal pathways, suggesting it could offer weight-loss benefits without some of the gastrointestinal side effects commonly associated with GLP-1 drugs.

What People Are Saying

Assistant professor of pathology Katrin Svensson in the press release from Stanford Medicine: "The receptors targeted by semaglutide are found in the brain but also in the gut, pancreas and other tissues."

She added: "That's why Ozempic has widespread effects including slowing the movement of food through the digestive tract and lowering blood sugar levels. In contrast, BRP appears to act specifically in the hypothalamus, which controls appetite and metabolism."

What Happens Next

Svensson, who led the research, has co-founded a company to initiate clinical trials of BRP in humans.

Moving forward, the researchers aim to identify the receptors that bind BRP and explore ways to extend its effects for a more convenient dosing schedule. If proven safe and effective in humans, BRP could be a major breakthrough in obesity treatment.

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