Artificial intelligence has discovered two plants that produce the same weight loss results as Ozempic, according to a new study.
Researchers from the Catholic University of Murcia in Spain reported that the plants contained similar agonists – a substance that mimics a hormone response – to those in Ozempic.
AI software analyzed thousands of natural compounds that could provide the same weight loss components and ultimately narrowed down two plant extracts.
Researchers started looking for a plant alternative because many people experienced side effects and regained weight once they took the prescribed drug.
The team also said that the plants would not only be easier on the body, but would also be more accessible and cost-effective – Ozempic costs about $936 per month.
They’re not naming the plant extracts — tentatively called Compound A and Compound B — until they patent a new weight loss drug.
The maker of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, is preparing to introduce a new drug, amycretin. Early results from the drug’s safety study suggest it may help users lose weight twice as fast as Ozempic
Weight loss medications soared last year, with Ozempic taking the lead as the most commonly used option
Ozempic was released in 2017 to treat people with diabetes, but was only recently found to help people lose weight by suppressing their appetite.
Since being declared a ‘miracle drug’, its use has increased by 300 percent in less than three years, with prescriptions in the US reaching nine million by September 2023.
Morgan Stanley analysts have done just that projected that 24 million people – seven percent of the US population – will use Ozempic or Wegovy in the next decade.
But users have reported nausea and vomiting, in addition to psychological problems such as anxiety and irritability when taking the weekly injections.
To address these issues, scientists wanted to “focus on plant extracts and other natural compounds as they may have fewer side effects” and on options that can be taken orally rather than through an injection.
But the alternative was necessary still activate the GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor, like Ozempic causes the weight loss of the body answer.
Ozempic can cost as much as $935 per month before health insurance, while costs abroad average around $100
“Drugs that are not peptides may have fewer side effects and be easier to administer, meaning they can be given as pills rather than injections,” said Elena Murcia, co-author of the study and member of the Structural Bioinformatics and High. -Performance Computing Research Group (BIO-HPC).
The team used AI-powered software to search through more than 10,000 compounds to identify those that bound to the GLP-1 receptor.
Subsequently, other AI-based methods examined how closely these bonds resembled those between the GLP-1 hormone and its receptor.
The team identified 100 from the group for a visual analysis, which yielded a set of 65 compounds that were run through a mathematical graph to pinpoint those with the highest potential as GLP1-R agonists.
And then the team landed on Compound A and Compound B.
The study shows that the researchers will not reveal the name of the plants until they have applied for a patent for a new weight loss drug.
The compounds come from common plants, according to the report, which notes that the “extracts have historically been associated with beneficial effects on human metabolism.”
‘Computer-based studies such as ours have important advantages, such as savings in costs and time, rapid analysis of large data sets, flexibility in experimental design and the ability to identify and mitigate any ethical and safety risks before conducting experiments in the laboratory. Murcia said.
“These simulations also allow us to leverage AI tools to analyze complex problems, providing a valuable first perspective in the search for new medicines.”