- Scientists have discovered a new experimental weight-loss drug, TDP, which appears to work without causing the side effects of nausea or vomiting common with existing GLP-1 medications like Ozempic.
- TDP is a smaller version of octadecaneuropeptide (ODN), a protein produced by brain cells called glia, which researchers believe targets energy-regulating pathways in the brain.
- Animal studies on mice, rats, and shrews showed that TDP led to weight loss and improved blood sugar control without inducing adverse gastrointestinal reactions.
- The findings, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, are currently a proof of concept based solely on these animal trials.
- Researchers, including Caroline Geisler from the University of Kentucky, are hopeful that human clinical trials for TDP could commence within the next two years.
IN FULL