Type 2 diabetes and obesity are two of the most common and serious health problems in the world today.
Millions of people struggle with high blood sugar levels and weight gain, often needing expensive treatments or surgery to manage their conditions.
But a new discovery could offer a much easier and safer solution: a pill that works like weight-loss surgery without any cutting or hospital stay.
Researchers at the University of Adelaide recently tested this new pill in a small study with healthy volunteers. The results were very promising. The participants had better control of their blood sugar after meals and even lost some weight. Even better, they had no serious side effects or illnesses from taking the pill.
The idea behind the pill is to copy some of the benefits of gastric bypass surgery, a type of operation used to help people lose weight and manage diabetes.
Gastric bypass changes how food moves through the digestive system, which can help people feel full faster, eat less, and control blood sugar better. But surgery is expensive and comes with risks, such as infections or long recovery times.
This new pill takes a different approach. Instead of changing the stomach with surgery, it seems to work by boosting the protective mucus lining in the upper part of the digestive system. This change helps improve how the body handles sugar and fat, much like what happens after weight-loss surgery.
Professor Michael Horowitz from the University of Adelaide called the pill “exciting” because it may help people manage their weight and diabetes without the usual difficulties. For people who have struggled for years with dieting, exercise, or risky treatments, this pill could make things much simpler.
A similar small study in the United States also showed good results in people who already have type 2 diabetes. The company behind the pill, Glyscend Therapeutics, is hopeful that this new treatment could be a “game changer” in how doctors help patients.
The need for a treatment like this is huge. In Australia alone, nearly 1.3 million people have type 2 diabetes, and the number continues to grow every year. At the same time, about 60% of Australian adults are overweight or obese—two key risk factors for diabetes and other health issues.
The team at the University of Adelaide plans to do more studies to learn exactly how the pill works and how long its benefits last. They want to make sure the pill can help more people and be used safely over time.
Professor Horowitz believes that with more research, this pill could lead to a major breakthrough for people living with diabetes and obesity. Instead of going through surgery or dealing with complicated treatments, patients might one day just take a pill to stay healthier.
This new approach brings hope that managing these widespread conditions could become easier and more affordable for millions of people around the world.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about New diabetes drug could control blood sugar and body weight better and findings of Common diabetes drugs linked to increased heart risk.
For more about diabetes, please read studies about Why diabetes drug metformin can help increase longevity and findings of This drug could manage type 2 diabetes for a long time.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
