Seeking an Alternative Pathway to Weight Loss

As GLP-1s have grown in popularity, there’s been an increasing amount of research into the drugs – sometimes highlighting potentially beneficial side effects but other times spotlighting troubling complications.

A recent study in Physiology & Behavior falls into the latter category. Researchers concluded that GLP-1s – used for weight loss and to treat diabetes and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke — significantly impair the sense of taste for many patients taking the drugs. That includes sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory.

The findings have “profound theoretical implications for dietary choices, nutrition, and metabolic health,” according to the study.

We know there is overwhelming demand for weight loss drugs amid an obesity epidemic in the U.S. A poll last year by KFF Health found about one in eight adults said they had taken GLP-1s.

Our company is developing a weight loss drug that works in a different way and doesn’t come with the same set of side effects as GLP-1s. We think it’s important for patients who need to lose weight to have options – and this is underscored by emerging research showing unanticipated side effects.

Our experimental drug focuses on the melanocortin system. We target receptors in the brain to signal satiety and reduced appetite. The idea behind this is simple: to decrease food intake and promote weight loss by mimicking the body’s natural signals of fullness.

Based on our research in monkeys, we believe our drug won’t come with the range of negative side effects experienced by many patients who take GLP-1s. This is important because the side effects can cause patients to discontinue drugs that are otherwise leading to beneficial weight loss. We hope to provide patients and their doctors with an alternative approach that can help people live healthier lives.

By Dr. Daniel Marks, MD, PhD is Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Endevica Bio.