19:47
Saturday 29 October 2022
agencies
Scientists have said that a new drug injection can help overweight people lose nearly 10% of their body weight within several months.
Researchers say the drug controls the patient’s appetite control system, which makes him feel full, according to the “Russia Today” website.
The German company Boehringer Ingelheim and Denmark’s Zealand Pharma believe that it can also be administered to many overweight patients.
The drug, known as BI456906, has to overcome further obstacles before it can be approved.
However, those behind claim it is more effective than the hitherto licensed drugs that work in a similar way.
US researchers tested BI456906 on 400 patients in their fifties. One of them weighed 4.15 pounds (97 kilograms) on average.
After four months, those given the highest dose lost nearly 9% of their body weight, the equivalent of 5 pounds (8.6 kg).
For comparison, patients who took Wegovy, another new weight loss drug, lost 5.4%.
And BI456906 works like Wegovy, leading to the production of the glucagon-like hormone peptide-1, which is released naturally after meals and helps control blood sugar.
The study is expected to be submitted to the California Obesity Society in November.
