Obesity has become a major health problem across the world. It raises the chances of getting serious diseases like heart problems, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
Even though millions of people are affected, there are still very few safe and effective medicines to treat severe obesity. This makes it harder for people who are already trying hard to lose weight.
But there may be new hope. Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine have been studying a drug that was originally made to help people with Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and sickle cell disease. It didn’t work for those illnesses, but now researchers think it might help with obesity.
The drug works by blocking a protein in the body called PDE9. This protein helps control some important chemical reactions, including ones that affect the heart and how the body uses energy.
In studies with mice, blocking PDE9 helped lower obesity and fat in the liver, and even made their hearts healthier. The most surprising part? The mice didn’t eat less or exercise more—yet they still lost weight and got healthier.
The idea came from research done back in 2015, when the same scientists found that PDE9 made heart problems worse when blood pressure was high. That made them wonder: could stopping PDE9 also help with other problems related to obesity?
The medicine they used is called a PDE9 inhibitor. It works in a way that is similar to Viagra, which blocks a related protein called PDE5. Both control a chemical in the body known as cyclic GMP, which helps many important systems run smoothly.
In the new study, the team wanted to see if the drug could do even more. They tested it to see if it could lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar, reduce bad fats like cholesterol and triglycerides, and shrink belly fat.
They used a drug called PF-04447943, which was first made by the drug company Pfizer to treat Alzheimer’s. It didn’t work for that illness, but tests showed it was safe to use in over 100 people, with no serious side effects.
This is important because obesity is so common. According to U.S. health data, more than 40% of adults in America are obese. Among women over 60, about 43% are affected.
If this new treatment works in people the same way it worked in mice, someone who weighs 250 pounds could lose about 50 pounds—just by taking a pill, without needing to change their food or exercise habits.
The study was led by Dr. David Kass and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. It also challenges the idea that obesity is only caused by eating too much. It shows that body chemistry, like how enzymes work, also plays a big part in weight gain.
More studies are needed to make sure the medicine works safely in humans. But if it does, this could be a huge step forward. It might offer a new kind of treatment for the millions of people struggling with their weight every day.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about the protective power of dietary antioxidants against Alzheimer’s, and eating habits linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
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