A WEIGHT loss injection dubbed the “Godzilla” of fat jabs could be the best so far.
Slimmers in a trial of the drug retatrutide lost up to 29 per cent of their weight in less than a year.
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The results suggest it is even more effective than Ozempic and Wegovy, and even than the so-called “King Kong” of the jabs, Mounjaro.
It has an edge over predecessors because it speeds up patients’ metabolism to burn more fat, as well as stopping hunger pangs.
A study on 338 people, presented at the European Congress on Obesity, found users lost 24 per cent of their weight in 48 weeks.
Women lost more – an average of 29 per cent – compared men with 21 per cent.
Five or ten years ago we could never have imagined drugs that would cause this kind of weight loss.
Professor Naveed Sattar
Trial chief Professor Ania Jastreboff, from Yale University, said: “The results are striking – this degree of weight reduction in this time frame has not been seen before.”
The injection mimics the production of three hormones linked to hunger, suppressing someone’s appetite so they eat less and lose weight.
It also increases the speed the body uses energy, meaning fewer calories are stored as flab.
Prof Jastreboff said: “We believe these medicines are working in the brain where they target hormone receptors.
“They then target the same receptors in various tissues in our body to impact energy use.
“Hormones tell our brains how much energy to store as fat and we need to target that biology.”
Health chiefs want to use fat jabs to tackle the UK’s obesity problem and pharmaceutical companies are pumping out new medicines to try and match global demand.
Nadia Ahmed, from manufacturer Eli Lilly, said: “We’re very excited about the level of weight loss retatrutide has achieved by activating three receptors, which makes it different to those currently on the market.”
The firm is now carrying out bigger trials to prove the benefits and, if successful, it could be available in two to three years.
Professor Naveed Sattar, from Glasgow University, was not involved with the trial but said: “Five or ten years ago we could never have imagined drugs that would cause this kind of weight loss.
“The trial suggests retatrutide still had not plateaued so if we give this drug for even longer I think it could reach nearly 30 per cent of someone’s body weight.
“That’s a heck of a lot.”
By comparison, trial results showed semaglutide, known as Ozempic, could lead to 15 per cent weight loss and tirzepatide, aka Mounjaro, to 23 per cent.
Professor Julio Rosenstock, from the University of Texas, said that if Mounjaro is the King Kong of the weight loss jabs, retatrutide is Godzilla by comparison.
How to lose weight safely
Losing weight should be a long-term commitment to healthier living, rather than any drastic measures.
The NHS tips – which can be adopted slowly – include:
- Get active for 150 minutes a week – you can break this up into shorter sessions
- Aim to get your 5 A Day – 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit or vegetables count as 1 portion
- Aim to lose 1 to 2lbs, or 0.5 to 1kg, a week
- Read food labels – products with more green colour coding than amber and red are often a healthier option
- Swap sugary drinks for water – if you do not like the taste, add slices of lemon or lime for flavour
- Cut down on food that’s high in sugar and fat – start by swapping sugary cereal for wholegrain alternatives
- Share your weight loss plan with someone you trust – they can help motivate you when you have a bad day
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