ECNOGLUTIDE, a new GLP-1 receptor agonist similar to semaglutide (Ozempic) is similarly safe and effective for weight loss, according to a study by the new drug’s developer.
Ecnoglutide is a novel type of weight loss medication that may help lower blood sugar by targeting a specific receptor in the body.
The study, which was published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, involved 664 overweight or obese adults without diabetes in China who were randomly assigned to receive a once-weekly dose of ecnoglutide (either 1.2, 1.8, or 2.4 mg) or a placebo over 48 weeks.
They found that those taking ecnoglutide lost on average between 9% and 13% (depending on the dose) of their body weight after 40 weeks of treatment, compared to almost no weight change in the placebo group.
The researchers also reported that 77-87% of the participants taking ecnoglutide lost at least 5% of their body weight compared to only 16% of the placebo group.
The authors said their study shows encnoglutide is safe and similarly effective to other GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide or tirzepatide (Mounjaro), and could be used in the future for people who have not had success with the medications currently available.
Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk, the pharma company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, has developed a new weight management medication Amycretin, with promising results in early-phase clinical trials reported in The Lancet.
Amycretin is designed to target two specific receptors in the body – the GLP-1 receptor and the amylin receptor – to help control blood sugar and appetite.
Because this medicine can activate both receptors at the same time, researchers say it has the potential to better manage conditions such as overweight and obesity compared to medicines that target just one receptor.
In a trial looking at weekly injections, participants who received the highest doses (up to 60mg) reported body weight reductions of up to 24.3% after 36 weeks of treatment.
However, there was a high frequency of adverse gastrointestinal effects (including nausea and vomiting), although these were mostly mild to moderate and typically resolved by the end of treatment.
A second trial investigating oral amycretin taken daily found that participants taking the highest dose (100mg per day) lost an average of 13.1% of their body weight after 12 weeks.
Together, these studies suggest amycretin – both as a once-weekly injection and as a daily oral medication – could be a promising approach for treating overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, though larger studies are needed to confirm these findings. KB
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