Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have identified a promising new drug target for weight loss which could revolutionise treatment for millions of people with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The drug candidate reduces appetite, boosts calorie burning, and improves insulin sensitivity all without causing nausea or muscle loss.
Published in the prestigious journal Nature, the discovery could pave the way for more effective therapies for individuals who don’t respond well to current treatments.
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Limitations of current therapies
Weight-loss medications based on the incretin hormone GLP-1 such as semaglutide and tirzepatide have provided significant benefits, including appetite reduction, improved kidney function, and reduced risk of cardiovascular events.
They are even linked to potential protection against neurodegeneration.
However, these treatments come with drawbacks. Many users experience side effects like nausea and vomiting, leading them to discontinue use.
Moreover, for the 380 million people worldwide living with both obesity and type 2 diabetes, these drugs are often less effective at reducing weight.
A new method
The study from the University of Copenhagen introduces a new way of tackling weight management by activating the neurokinin 2 receptor (NK2R).
This approach increases energy expenditure, allowing the body to burn more calories while also suppressing appetite without the adverse side effects associated with current treatments.
“GLP-1 therapies have indeed revolutionised the management of obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, achieving appetite control and increasing energy expenditure without side effects remains a significant challenge,” explained Associate Professor Zach Gerhart-Hines from the NNF Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at the University of Copenhagen.
“Our discovery has the potential to make treatments more effective and better tolerated, reaching millions more people.”
The research team’s initial studies on mice showed that activating NK2R not only safely increased calorie burning but also reduced appetite without nausea.
Encouraged by these results, they conducted further tests on non-human primates with type 2 diabetes and obesity. The outcomes were remarkable: NK2R activation led to weight loss and improved diabetes control by enhancing insulin sensitivity and lowering blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels.
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“This is a major step forward,” says Ph.D. student Frederike Sass, the study’s first author. “One of the greatest challenges in drug development is ensuring that results from animal models translate effectively to humans. The benefits we observed in diabetic and obese non-human primates bring us closer to that goal.”
Clinical application
The University of Copenhagen has patented the NK2R targeting approach, and the discovery has already sparked significant interest.
Research from the Gerhart-Hines lab has led to the formation of several biotech companies, including Embark Biotech, which was acquired by Novo Nordisk in 2023 to accelerate the development of next-generation treatments for cardiometabolic diseases.
