While Ozempic and other drugs like it have proven effective in helping people lose weight, many gain it back when the injections stop. A new drug targets weight loss differently, leading to a more permanent fat-shedding solution.
While their formulations are all slightly different, drugs like Trulicity, Ozempic, and Wegovy are all Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. These drugs work, in part, by slowing the emptying of stomach contents and increasing a sense of fullness. The problem, however, is that when you stop taking the drug, the feelings of fullness fade, and weight gain can return.
At this year's meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Vienna, Austria, researchers from Resalis Therapeutics, a biotech company in Turin, Italy, just announced a weight-loss drug that works differently. The drug, which is called RES-010, works by employing an antisense oligonucleotide, a synthetic bit of genetic material that blocks the action of an RNA molecule known as miR-22. It is now in phase 1 clinical trials in humans.
According to the researchers, miR-22 acts as a "master controller" of multiple processes related to obesity. These include the body's fat-metabolizing process, the creation and regulation of mitochondria, and the way in which the body's fat functions and is organized (a process known as adipose tissue remodeling). When a weekly injection of the drug was given to mice over the course of five months, they lost 12% more weight than untreated mice.
Getting to the root cause
Significantly, both groups of mice ate the same amount of calories, indicating that RES-010 changed the body's metabolism, rather than causing the mice to simply eat less. Basically, it was able to treat the root cause of obesity.
“RES-010 works by reprogramming how cells handle fat and energy," said study co-author Riccardo Panella, Resalis' co-founder and CEO. “Rather than reducing appetite, it changes the way in which the body uses fats, boosts the production and activity of mitochondria, the ‘batteries’ that power cells, and helps convert white fat, which stores energy, into brown fat, which burns it. Because it acts on these fundamental pathways, weight regain is less likely."
Another benefit of RES-010 is that the animal tests revealed that it was able to target fat cells only, while sparing lean tissue. This is a major difference from GLP-1 receptor agonists, which can cause the body to cannibalize lean mass, including muscle and bone. The tests revealed that non-human primates (NHPs) given RES-010 lost 15% of their fat and only 1% of their lean mass over 10 weeks. NHPs put on semaglutide (the drug marketed as Ozempic) alone, they lost 16% of their fat mass, but also 8% of their lean mass.
“Lean mass, especially skeletal muscle, is central to strength, stamina and blood sugar regulation, and so its loss is potentially harmful,” says Panella.
As part of the study, when the animals were taken off semaglutide, the regained weight. When they were given both semaglutide and RES-010, however, the weight loss remained permanent, even after both drugs were stopped.
The new phase 1 clinical trial has been underway in the Netherlands since November 2024. The results are expected to be reported in early 2026.
Source: European Association for the Study of Diabetes via EurekAlert
