A new-generation weight loss jab that destroys fat under the skin could give overweight adults a flat stomach in just a few months, a study suggests.
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study → destroy → months
US researchers say the 'remarkable' injection could replace cosmetic procedures like liposuction for toning stubborn areas.
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injection → say → areas
Crucially, scientists found it also reduces levels of dangerous 'hidden' visceral fat that surrounds the organs and raises risk of heart attack, diabetes and stroke.
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that → find → attack
Meanwhile switching to the new jab following a period on Mounjaro or Wegovy could stop the pounds piling back on.
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pounds → switch → Mounjaro
University of Alabama experts found the new drug – known as CBL-514 – resulted in significant reductions in the amount of fat that lies just beneath the skin for 70 per cent of patients.
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that → find → patients
Using it alongside tirzepatide, otherwise known as Mounjaro, was found to boost its weight-loss effects.
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Using → use → effects
Presenting the findings at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Milan, Dr Timothy Garvey said: 'We expect that patients will be pleased by the cosmetic effects, such as the flatter stomach that can come with subcutaneous fat loss.
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that → present → loss
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.
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that → associate → health
A new weight loss jab that directly targets fat cells could help melt away stubborn belly flab and reduce dangerous hidden fat=
Unlike other common weight loss injections, which mimic the hormone GLP-1 to create feelings of fullness, CBL-514 triggers the self-destruction of fat cells.
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CBL-514 → target → cells
In a phase 2 clinical trial, around three-quarters of participants (70 per cent) treated with the drug lost at least 150ml of visible fat over a period of eight weeks.
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quarters → treat → weeks
In animal studies, the injection also reduced levels of visceral fat, reducing the risk of a range of cardiometabolic diseases including heart attack, stroke and fatty liver disease.
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injection → reduce → attack
Rats given the drug alongside tirzepatide also lost more weight than those given either medication alone, and regained less weight when tirzepatide was stopped.
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tirzepatide → give → weight
While researchers do not know exactly why CBL-514 reduced the rebound effect, they say it may be because destroying fat cells limits the amount that can be put back on.
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that → know → amount
While Wegovy and Mounjaro are effective for weight loss, most users regain the weight inside two years of stopping treatment, according to studies.
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users → regain → studies
The hope is that CBL-514 will help keep the weight off for longer – resulting in long-lasting improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, Dr Garvey said.
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Garvey → help → pressure
However, further research is needed to prove this.
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research → need → this
The trial involved 41 participants and was conducted by Dr Garvey, an expert in metabolic diseases, alongside the drug's developer, Caliway Biopharmaceuticals.
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trial → involve → developer
Participants were randomly assigned to receive up to 600mg of CBL-514 or a placebo over the course of three months.
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Participants → assign → months
The authors did not specify the frequency of injections but noted that the number depended on how much abdominal fat participants carried.
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participants → specify → fat
Hidden visceral fat was also measured throughout the study using MRI scans.
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fat → measure → scans
A month after the last treatment, those given CBL-514 had around 12 per cent less visceral fat than at the start of the study, while levels increased by almost 6 per cent in the placebo group.
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levels → give → group
After two months, participants who received the drug had about 10 per cent less dangerous visceral fat than when they started.
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they → receive → fat
By contrast, those given a placebo had around 12 per cent (11.8) more.
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those → give → more
CBL-514 was well-tolerated, with the only side-effects being redness and pain around the injection site.
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effects → tolerate → site
The team concluded that CBL-514 could significantly reduce both dangerous visceral fat and stubborn belly fat, potentially offering a far less invasive alternative to surgical procedures that remove visible fat beneath the skin.
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that → conclude → skin
Two phase 3 trials – which will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the drug for belly fat reduction – are set to begin soon.
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which → evaluate → reduction
Dr Marie Spreckley, an expert in metabolic disorders at the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the current study, described the results as 'encouraging'.
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who → involve → results
However, she added larger trials with longer follow-up are needed to establish whether the fat reduction lasts and whether it leads to improvements in health.
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it → add → health
Professor Justin Rochford, from the University of Aberdeen, added that while the drug was originally developed to target fat cells in unusual fatty lumps under the skin, it could be invaluable when it comes to the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases.
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it → add → diseases
However, he cautioned, for it to be successful, researchers will have to show that it does not increase the risk of fat accumulation in other organs.
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it → caution → organs
The findings follow new research that found a double-pronged fat jab, known as EloraTZP, could help patients lose almost a quarter of their body weight within 48 weeks.
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patients → follow → weeks
Scientists found the drug – which contains both tirzepatide and a compound called eloralintide – resulted in an 'astonishing' weight loss of 23.3 per cent – suggesting the combination may be the most powerful yet when it comes to controlling hunger.
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it → find → hunger
The Aporia
