Obesity is a serious global health problem that raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Yet, there are still no pills that effectively treat severe obesity. This makes it hard for many people to manage their weight.
Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine may have found a new way to help. They’ve been studying a drug that was originally created to treat other illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and sickle cell disease.
This drug works by targeting an enzyme in the body called PDE9.
In their study, the researchers found that the drug helped mice lose weight, reduce fat in their liver, and improve their heart health. What’s especially surprising is that the mice didn’t need to change their diet or exercise routine for the drug to work.
This discovery builds on earlier research from 2015, when the same team found that PDE9 plays a role in heart disease, especially when someone has high blood pressure. That earlier finding made the scientists wonder whether blocking PDE9 could also improve other health issues.
The drug used in this study is called PF-04447943. It was developed by Pfizer to treat Alzheimer’s disease. While it didn’t work for Alzheimer’s, it was tested in more than 100 people and found to be safe, with no serious side effects.
PDE9 inhibitors like this one are still in the testing phase, so they aren’t available to the public yet. But they work in a way that’s similar to Viagra, which blocks a different enzyme called PDE5. Both enzymes affect a substance in the body called cyclic GMP, which helps control many processes, including how blood flows and how fat is stored.
In this mouse study, the researchers looked at whether the drug could help with things like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and body fat. They found that it helped with all of these issues.
This could be a big deal. In the U.S., more than 40% of adults are obese, and the number is even higher among women over 60. If this drug works in people the same way it did in mice, someone who weighs 250 pounds might lose up to 50 pounds without changing their lifestyle.
The study, led by Dr. David Kass and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, could lead to a new way of treating obesity. Instead of telling people to change their diet and exercise more—which can be very hard—doctors might one day be able to offer a pill that helps people lose weight safely.
Still, more research is needed to see if the drug works in people and to make sure it’s safe for long-term use. But this study offers new hope for millions of people who are struggling with their weight and need more options.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies about orange that could help obesity, and a berry that can prevent cancer, diabetes and obesity.
For more health information, please see recent studies about ginger’s journey in weight management, and green tea: a cup of weight loss.
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