Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University published a study on an experimental oral medication in the journal Cell. The experimental tablet activates metabolic processes within skeletal muscle to increase fat oxidation while preserving lean tissue.
An initial Phase I clinical trial enrolled 48 healthy volunteers and 25 individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Participants in the trial tolerated the medication.
The compound is a β2 agonist engineered to activate muscle-benefiting signaling pathways without causing excessive cardiac stimulation. Shane C. Wright, Assistant Professor at Karolinska Institutet, said, "This drug represents a completely new type of treatment and has the potential to be of great importance for patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity. Our substance appears to promote healthy weight loss and, in addition, patients do not have to take injections." Wright added, "This makes them valuable both as a stand-alone treatment and in combination with GLP-1 drugs."
Tore Bengtsson, a professor at Stockholm University, said, "Our results point to a future where we can improve metabolic health without losing muscle mass. Muscles are important in both type 2 diabetes and obesity, and muscle mass is also directly correlated with life expectancy."
Atrogi AB is developing the oral medication. The company will conduct the subsequent Phase II clinical trial. Bengtsson serves as the founder and chief scientific officer of Atrogi AB and co-authored patents for the investigated compounds. Funding for the research was provided by the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Society for Medical Research, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.