New two-in-one anti-obesity jab that targets different parts of the brain could work twice as well as Ozempic – and keep weight off for longer

A shot made with two anti-obesity drugs instead of one could be better than Ozempic for weight loss.

The experimental treatment includes two drugs that target different parts of the brain to curb appetite. When tested on mice, the combined therapy doubled the amount of weight some lost compared to using Ozempic alone. The injection also appears to produce lasting changes in the brain, so that appetite remains reduced once treatment has stopped.

This is one of the disadvantages of the successful weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy (which contain different doses of the active drug semaglutide). These work by mimicking the effects of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is released by the intestines after we eat to send a message to the brain that we are full.

The drugs activate GLP-1 receptors in the brain, so that a feeling of fullness is registered in the stomach after minimal amounts of food.

As a result, most people feel full after a few bites. But the drugs only work if you keep taking them, meaning some patients could be on them for life.

In a new approach, scientists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark have combined semaglutide with a drug called dizocilpine. Research has shown that it is also an effective appetite suppressant because it blocks a receptor in the brain called NMDA

Britain has the highest obesity rates in Western Europe. According to the Health Survey for England 2021, almost 26 percent of adults in England were classified as obese – with a body mass index of 30 or higher.

In a new approach, scientists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark have combined semaglutide with a drug called dizocilpine, which was developed more than 40 years ago to treat seizures caused by conditions such as epilepsy.

Research has shown that it is also an effective appetite suppressant because it blocks a receptor in the brain called NMDA. This is the receptor to which glutamate, a brain chemical associated with stimulating appetite, normally binds. By blocking the receptor, the drug prevents this effect.

But dizocilpine never went into mass production because research showed it caused lesions (or scarring) in the brain and caused hallucinations.

However, the Copenhagen team found it was safe and effective when used in much smaller doses than for attacks, and alongside semaglutide in one jab.

Results published last month in Nature showed that mice injected with the two-in-one drug lost twice as much weight as mice given semaglutide alone.

Britain has the highest obesity rates in Western Europe. Nearly 26 percent of adults in England were classified as obese – with a body mass index of 30 or higher – according to the Health Survey for England 2021 (stock image)

Alex Miras, a clinical professor of medicine at Ulster University and an expert in the treatment of obesity, said: ‘This is very exciting – it is a clever combination of two mechanisms that, when combined, can cause weight loss.’

The mice that received the combination shot lost 20 percent of their total body weight in fourteen days – compared to about 9 percent if they received semaglutide alone.

They also continued to eat less when treatment stopped.

This is thought to be because dizocilpine has been shown to strengthen nerve connections in the brain, making newly learned behaviors – such as eating less – permanent.

The researchers have set up a spin-out company called Ousia Pharma to further develop the weight-loss superdrug in the coming years.

Alex Miras, a clinical professor of medicine at Ulster University and an expert in the treatment of obesity, said: ‘This is very exciting – it is a clever combination of two mechanisms that, when combined, can cause weight loss. But we have to find out whether it works as well in humans as it does in mice.’