New Oral Combo Drug Amycretin Shows Significant Weight Loss in Early Trials

      A new oral combination drug, Amycretin, has shown promising results in a phase 1 trial for significant weight loss. Amycretin is an innovative protein-based unimolecular combination of amylin and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA). These components work synergistically to reduce appetite and energy intake while increasing satiety. Notably, amylin enhances leptin sensitivity, while GLP-1 RAs improve insulin secretion and biosynthesis, making this combination highly effective in managing weight.

      The study enrolled 124 participants, including men and women aged 18-55 years with a body mass index (BMI) between 25.0 and 39.9, who were otherwise healthy and did not have diabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either oral Amycretin (95 participants) or a placebo (29 participants) for up to 12 weeks. The study arms included single-ascending doses (1 mg to 25 mg) and multiple-ascending doses, where doses escalated stepwise from 3 mg to 2 × 50 mg over 12 weeks.

      The trial results were remarkable, with participants experiencing up to 13% weight loss during the 12-week escalation period. Importantly, all tested dose levels were found to be safe and well-tolerated. These early findings, presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2024 conference, indicate that Amycretin holds potential as an effective weight loss therapy for people with overweight or obesity.