A new weight-loss drug called CPACC has shown promise in mice, helping them remain slim even when they were fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet.
Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio discovered that CPACC works by increasing the body’s metabolism to help it break down fats and sugars more efficiently.
The drug does this by inhibiting how magnesium flows through the mitochondria, the part of the cell responsible for producing energy and burning calories.
In the study, mice that were given CPACC for 20 weeks remained slim and had lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels than mice that were not given the drug.
The mice that were not given CPACC and were fed the high-fat diet gained weight and had higher cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
The researchers say that CPACC could be a “game-changer” for people who struggle to lose weight.
It works differently than current weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which specifically target insulin response. CPACC could be taken as a pill and would not require people to change their diet.
The researchers have filed a patent application for CPACC and plan to conduct human trials in the coming years.
Experts are hopeful that CPACC could be another weapon in the battle against obesity. Obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
“A drug that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke, and also reduce the incidence of liver cancer, which can follow fatty liver disease, will make a huge impact,” said Madesh Muniswamy, Ph.D., a biochemist from the University of Texas who led the research.
“We will continue its development.”
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.
