An old small molecule drug could fight obesity and keep lean muscle First discovered in the 1970s, the compound was shown in mice to boost energy expenditure and block fat synthesis — resulting in weight loss without muscle loss. Written byAllison Whitten, PhD

An old small molecule drug could fight obesity and keep lean muscle First discovered in the 1970s, the compound was shown in mice to boost energy expenditure and block fat synthesis — resulting in weight loss without muscle loss. Written byAllison Whitten, PhD https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/an-old-small-molecule-drug-could-fight-obesity-and-keep-lean-muscle-17474?utm_campaign=DDN_Newsletter_Dose&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_OzHTmO-SFDvjbuZGXvjT4YgraYHIMNlFbYHHcr71d1UIZid4krFhDOgjS0tkoIEAqiH-tcKEZ-8PnRXnht3Zfh5dmyA&_hsmi=442562317&utm_content=442562317&utm_source=hs_email Losing weight can happen via two paths: eating less, or spending more energy. Today’s blockbuster GLP-1 drugs are well-known for their ability to help people eat less, but finding drugs that increase energy expenditure could add another effective option to treat obesity and related metabolic disorders. Now, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have shown that an old drug could be up to the task. In new work published in Science Advances, a team led by Anders Näär, with first author Justin Lee, demonstrated that giving mice the molecular compound called 5-tetradecyloxy-2-furoic acid (TOFA) led to weight loss without also losing lean muscle — known to be a common issue with GLP-1 drugs — and also decreased triglycerides and improved glucose control and features of fatty liver disease.