It targets GLP-1 receptors and stimulates levels of a second hormone called amylin.
In a phase 1 clinical trial, researchers tested if the drug was safe for humans at different doses.
How Amycretin Works
Amycretin targets amylin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas.
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The data are very consistent that amylin agonists actually affect appetite centrally in the brain.
But what we dont know is the exact location in the brain where amylin works, Lau said.
If amylin acts differently from the GLP-1 receptor agonists, there may be an additive effect on appetite regulation.
If they act on different parts of the brain, they may have better effect.
The researchers tested multiple dosing regimens.
One group ended with a dose of 50 milligrams.
They saw an average 10.4% body weight loss by the end of the trial.
A group that took twice that dose lost 13.1% of their body weight during that time.
The placebo group, meanwhile, lost 1.2% of their body weight.
That outcome really is remarkable for an orally delivered biologic, Gasiorek said.
Gasiorek said its too early to compare the benefits of amycretin with semaglutide or other obesity medications.
Future studies will test how amycretin affects the body over a longer period.
One challenge of developing an oral version is making the drug effective at the lowest dose possible.
The likelihood of those side effects increased as participants started taking higher doses of amycretin.
Amylin appears to act in the brain, rather than in the gut.
The company is also testing a subcutaneous injection version of the drug.
Lau said that GLP-1 receptor agonists will continue to be the major ingredient for future anti-obesity medications.
Drugs that also target another hormone or two have the potential to be more potent.
A drug in phase 3 clinical trials, called retatrutide, targets three different hormones with promising effects.
Obesity, as a condition, is actually very heterogeneous.
Some people respond tremendously, other people dont, Lau said.
You canuse this toolfrom the Obesity Medicine Association to find an obesity medicine provider.
2024;30(7):2037-2048. doi:10.1038/s41591-024-03018-2
