A new era could soon open for those suffering from overweight and diabetes. But like any epochal change it also has its unknowns. It will certainly be the business of the future.
The FDA, the body of the US Ministry of Health that deals with the regulation of food and pharmaceutical products, would be in the pipeline, barring new unforeseeable hitches, for the approval of Tirzepatide, a drug that replicates the action of two hormones involved in the production of insulin.
According to a clinical study, patients who received a high dose of tirzepatide lost body weight up to 21% of their initial weight (on average about 23 kg in the cases studied), which is more than any other slimming drug on the market. But Tirzepatide was not designed to treat obesity; in fact, it mimics a hormone traditionally thought to be responsible for weight gain.
The drug mimics a pair of hormones released by the gut that stimulate insulin production after a meal: glycogen-like protein-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). But the combination of the two hormones has shown an unexpected action and the drug has been shown to regulate blood glucose in the long term and also cause weight loss in those who take it. A revolution for those suffering from obesity and diabetes.
The GLP-1 protein has already been studied for some time. It is known to promote weight loss as it reduces appetite and food intake and is an effective means of combating diabetes as it stimulates the production of insulin. Instead the other hormone, the GIP, remains a mystery. From the studies in possession, the GIP would even promote obesity, earning the nickname of “obesity hormone”. For example, humans with genetic defects in the GIP receptor are more likely to have lean body mass. Thus, scientists generally believed that blocking the GIP receptor would induce weight loss; however, Tirzepatide stimulates the GIP receptor.
The unknown is that scientists do not fully understand the remarkable weight loss results provided by Tirzepatide. One theory is that tirzepatide acts like a new synthetic hormone that triggers slightly different cellular processes than the natural hormones it is supposed to mimic, which it was designed to do. But it remains a combined hormone, with effects that still remain untested in the medium to long term.
There are two ongoing, parallel, multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. One of the two studies is already completed, the other will be completed by the end of April 2023.
But it’s not a walk. The introduction of hormones into the body could lead to other problems for the body, especially in those who have previously had serious inflammation of various kinds, also exposing them to possible more important diseases.
But the diet market is one of the most thriving and growing in the world, hovering around an estimated value of 230 billion dollars.
The diet food market alone in Italy is worth 4.8 billion euros.
And obesity is now a real calamity that leads to death: in Italy 5 million individuals suffer from it, one person out of 10. In addition, only in our country only 3.5 million individuals are affected by diabetes. With the spread of obesity, the numbers of diabetics are destined to grow exponentially, however also undermining general health care. In this sense, Tirzepatide seems to have the road paved.
source Affaritaliani.it