Imagine a pill that not only helps you lose excess pounds, but also does it without the need to go on a diet or exercise. This is what researchers from the pharmaceutical company Zafgen have proposed, who are working on a new therapeutic approach based on an experimental drug that is designed to make the body produce less fat and burn the excess for fuel.
Unlike other treatments aimed at reducing appetite and hunger at the brain level, Zafgen's drug, called Beloranib , fights obesity by acting at the metabolic level, since it focuses on restoring the balance of body fat . Although there are still years before it can reach the market, the company predicts that it could end as a "sales success", according to statements by its managers to the Reuters agency.
"Many of the drugs available so far modulate signals in a small area of the hypothalamus," explained Kevin Starr, partner at Third Rock Ventures, an investor in Zafgen. "This is very close to the signals of satisfaction and sadness, among others, and it is known that depression and suicidal thoughts are regulated by the same region of the hypothalamus," adds Starr, who believes that it is an advantage that the new treatment does not It affects neither mood nor motivation.
