Move over, Ozempic.
Researchers say a similar medication helped more than 200 overweight adults shed an average of 15.6% of their body weight after 48 weeks — with less muscle lost.
The promising results of a phase 2 trial of pemvidutide — which included “significant” decreases in heart disease risk factors such as cholesterol — were shared this week at the American Diabetes Association’s annual science conference in Orlando.
“These findings demonstrated that the use of pemvidutide may have important effects on the quality of weight loss and cardiometabolic-associated comorbidities of obesity,” said primary investigator Dr. Louis J. Aronne, professor of metabolic research at Weill Cornell Medical College.
“Furthermore, as the focus shifts to long-term weight management, the preservation of lean mass will be critical for patient care,” he added.
Experts have expressed concern about obesity medication users losing muscle mass along with fat. Extreme, rapid weight loss — from Ozempic or other methods — often leads to bone loss, which decreases strength and stamina and increases the risk of fractures.
Researchers are trying to figure out how to combat this issue. To wit, a study published this week found a combination of exercise and the diabetes medication liraglutide preserves hip, spine and forearm bone-mineral density.
In the meantime, people who lose significant weight are encouraged to eat sufficient protein and build muscle through exercise.
Besides preserving lean muscle, Aronne noted another major difference between pemvidutide and other drugs that mimic GLP-1, a hormone the body naturally produces after eating.
Pemvidutide — made by the biopharmaceutical company Altimmune — also mimics the hormone glucagon, which increases blood sugar levels. Since GLP-1 reduces sugar, the two hormones seem to offset each other.
As a result, study participants experienced no changes in their fasting blood sugar or A1C, which measures average blood sugar levels over recent months, Everyday Health reports. Ozempic has been shown to lower blood sugar and A1C, which is key for diabetics.
Large-scale phase 3 trials are on the way for pemvidutide, with Altimmune hoping it could also treat metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis — the global leading cause of chronic liver disease.
