Obesity and type 2 diabetes continue to affect millions of people worldwide, often leading to serious health issues like heart disease and stroke.
While bariatric surgery has helped many patients lose weight and even reverse diabetes, it’s a major procedure that isn’t suitable—or safe—for everyone. Now, scientists are developing a new kind of treatment that could offer the same life-changing benefits without surgery.
A research team at Queen Mary University of London has created a new class of injectable compounds that show strong promise in reducing body weight and blood sugar levels in lab animals. The most promising of these compounds is called GEP44.
What makes GEP44 so exciting is how it mimics the positive effects of weight-loss surgery—like appetite reduction and improved blood sugar control—without requiring an operation. It works by interacting with hormone receptors in the gut, which play a key role in controlling hunger and blood sugar.
Most current drugs for obesity and diabetes, like liraglutide, target a hormone receptor known as GLP-1. These medications can be effective, but they often come with uncomfortable side effects like nausea and vomiting. These side effects cause many patients to stop taking the medication.
GEP44, however, works differently. It activates three receptors: the GLP-1 receptor and two receptors for another gut hormone called peptide YY (PYY). This combination appears to provide the same benefits—without triggering the unpleasant side effects.
In lab tests, obese rats given GEP44 ate up to 80% less food and lost 12% of their body weight in just 16 days. That’s more than three times the weight loss seen in rats treated with liraglutide, a drug already approved for obesity treatment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The benefits don’t stop there. GEP44 also increases energy use, helping the body burn more calories. This means the weight loss isn’t just from eating less—it’s also from being more active, having a higher heart rate, or producing more body heat.
In addition to supporting weight loss, GEP44 also lowers blood sugar by pulling glucose into the muscles, where it can be used for energy. It may even help the pancreas produce more insulin by converting certain cells into insulin-producing ones. That could be especially helpful for people with diabetes whose ability to make insulin has declined.
One of the most surprising findings? GEP44 may reduce cravings for opioids like fentanyl. In early lab tests, rats treated with the compound showed less interest in these addictive drugs. If similar effects are seen in humans, GEP44 could one day help treat not just obesity and diabetes, but addiction as well.
Researchers have already filed patents and are preparing for more testing, including trials in primates. They also plan to study how the compound changes brain activity and gene expression—knowledge that could be useful in developing other types of treatments.
While it’s still early, the potential for this research is enormous. A safe, injectable medication that supports weight loss, improves blood sugar control, and even helps curb addiction could transform how we treat obesity and diabetes. It could also make powerful health benefits available to people who cannot—or choose not to—undergo surgery.
This innovative work brings new hope to millions of people around the world who are seeking better, safer ways to manage their health.
If you care about weight management, please read studies about diets that could boost your gut health and weight loss, and 10 small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain.
For more health information, please see recent studies about low-carb keto diet could manage obesity effectively and results showing popular weight loss diet linked to heart disease and cancer.
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