A research team was looking to make a new anti-inflammatory medication when they found some incredible side effects
Researchers may have accidentally discovered a new weight loss treatment while working on an anti-inflammatory medication. The experimental drug, currently referred to as SANA (salicylate-based nitroalkene), has shown promising results by causing fat cells to generate heat, effectively burning away fat.
Animal trials successfully showed it prevented fat accumulation, while phase one clinical trials with humans saw weight loss and improved blood sugar in obese participants. However, researchers have said it’s important to note that this drug is still very experimental.
Carlos Escande, a researcher at the Pasteur Institute in Montevideo, Uruguay, and study coordinator, said, according to News Medical: “This result isn’t conclusive because it was a small group, and the objective was to assess whether the compound is safe and well tolerated. We intend to start phase two of the study later this year, which is designed to test its effectiveness in treating obesity.”
SANA is a derivative of salicylate, a compound with analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties used in medications such as aspirin. Initially, Escande’s team were exploring this line of research to develop a new anti-inflammatory drug.
However, their experiments with various derivatives and modifications led to the unexpected discovery of SANA’s potential weight loss effects. Carlos continued: “Salicylate is the drug that’s been known the longest, and many people consume its derivatives daily. However, we observed that instead of protecting against inflammation, the molecule we synthesized protects against diet-induced obesity.”
In subsequent animal trials, one group of average-sized mice were put on a high-fat diet – administration of SANA successfully prevented them from gaining weight. Another experiment involved giving the compound to overweight mice, resulting in an impressive loss of 20 per cent of their body mass within three weeks, alongside significant reductions in blood sugar and liver fat and enhanced insulin sensitivity.
A team of nine Brazilian scientists joined forces for the following phase to unearth precisely how SANA was achieving these effects. Their research showed that the drug specifically targets adipose tissue and fat cells, triggering thermogenesis, which causes the cells to heat up and expend their energy.
Distinct from current drugs on the market like Mounjaro, it doesn’t appear to impact a person’s hunger, digestion, or central nervous system. This approach of effectively ‘burning away’ fat might lay the groundwork for a completely new category of anti-obesity drugs.
Marcelo Mori from the Institute of Biology at UNICAMP, one of the Brazilian research team, added: “The fact that it’s a small molecule and acts through a totally different mechanism allows SANA to be combined with other substances already used in the treatment of obesity, such as GLP-1 analogs. When we reduce food intake, our body tends to slow down its metabolism. To avoid this plateau effect, it’d be interesting to combine a molecule that inhibits appetite with another that promotes caloric expenditure.”
Regarding the preliminary research on SANA, Carlos said studies had shown the medication only marginally affects body temperature and appears not to present a substantial health risk.