Rare Metabolic Disease That Leads to Childhood Obesity Gets Its First FDA-Approved Drug
March 27, 2025 / Prader-willi Syndrome Treatment / FDA Approval / Hyperphagia Drug Approval / Rare Disease Obesity Therapy
The FDA has approved Soleno Therapeutics’ Vykat XR, the first drug for hyperphagia in Prader-Willi syndrome. The once-daily extended-release formulation of diazoxide choline showed significant symptom improvement in long-term trials and offers a novel, targeted treatment approach for this rare disease.
Discovery of the 2,3-Dihydrobenzopyrane-4-one as a Potent FTO Inhibitor against Obesity-Related Metabolic Ozempic
March 28, 2025 / FTO Inhibitor Eriodictyol / Obesity / Metabolic Disease Treatment / Glucose Metabolism Regulation / Weight Loss
Researchers identified eriodictyol, a 2,3-dihydrobenzopyrane-4-one compound, as a potent FTO inhibitor with favorable pharmacokinetics and low toxicity. It improves glucose metabolism and promotes thermogenesis, offering a promising therapeutic strategy for obesity-related metabolic diseases.
Fasting for weight loss is all the rage: what are the health benefits?
March 25, 2025 / Intermittent Fasting Benefits / Ketone Metabolism / Health / Weight Loss
Intermittent fasting supports weight loss and improves cardiometabolic health, with some evidence suggesting additional benefits such as enhanced cognitive function and longevity. Benefits may arise from metabolic switching to ketone production during fasting periods.
Viking Therapeutics Announces Completion of Enrollment in Phase 2 VENTURE-Oral Dosing Trial of VK2735 Tablet Formulation in Patients with Obesity
March 26, 2025 / San Diego Biotech / Viking Therapeutics / Obesity Drug Trial / Weight Loss / GLP-1 GIP Dual Agonist
Viking Therapeutics has completed enrollment in a Phase 2 trial of its oral GLP-1/GIP dual agonist VK2735 for obesity. The study will assess safety and weight loss efficacy over 13 weeks, with data expected in late 2025.
Novo’s Obesity Pipeline Keeps Evolving With up to $1B Lexicon Deal
March 28, 2024 / LX9851 Obesity Drug / Novo Nordisk / Oral Weight Loss Therapy / Semaglutide Combination Therapy
Novo Nordisk acquired global rights to Lexicon’s oral obesity drug LX9851 in a $1B deal. Targeting ACSL5, LX9851 showed synergy with semaglutide in preclinical studies, enhancing weight loss and potentially preventing post-treatment weight regain.
A protective immune system cell disappears from a key form of fat, but only in those who are obese
March 27, 2025 / Regulatory T Cells and Obesity / Visceral Fat Inflammation / Metabolic Homeostasis / Immunology Therapy
Emory researchers found that obesity disrupts cholesterol metabolism in regulatory T cells (Tregs) within visceral fat, reducing their presence and worsening inflammation and insulin resistance. Restoring cholesterol homeostasis may enable Treg-targeted therapies for obesity-related metabolic disease.
McGill University Health receives $1.4 million for metabolic center
March 30, 2025 / Novo Nordisk Canada / Diabetes / Obesity Care / Indigenous Health Outreach
Novo Nordisk Canada is funding a new Metabolic Centre of Excellence at McGill University Health Centre to advance research, treatment, education, and access for obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disorders, particularly in underserved communities including northern Quebec.
Non-invasive liver fibrosis markers are increased in obese individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and the metabolic syndrome
March 27, 2025 / NAFLD Liver Fibrosis Biomarker / MASLD / Obesity
Obese individuals with NAFLD and metabolic syndrome show elevated non-invasive liver fibrosis markers—MRI T1 times, CK18, FNI, and MACK3—suggesting early fibrosis risk despite no clinical signs. These tools may aid earlier detection of fibrosis in high-risk populations.
Scientists link emulsifiers in processed foods to allergy and immune disorders
March 26 2025 / Emulsifiers / Food Allergies / Ultra-process Foods Inflammation / Allergy Triggers in Packaged Foods
A recent review links emulsifiers and other additives in ultra-processed foods to increased risk of food allergies and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, emphasizing growing concerns over their role in the rise of allergic and chronic inflammatory conditions.
Weight Loss Breakthrough: Stanford Scientists Discover “Natural Ozempic” Without the Side Effects
March 28, 2024 / Natural Ozempic Alternatives / Peptide Weight Loss / Stanford Obesity Breakthrough / Weight Loss Therapy / GLP-1-free Appetite Suppressant
Stanford researchers discovered BRP, a naturally occurring peptide that mimics semaglutide’s weight-loss effects without common side effects. BRP acts via a distinct hypothalamic pathway and reduced food intake and fat mass in animal models, showing strong therapeutic potential.
Early stage of metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease disrupts circadian rhythm and induces neuroinflammation in rats
March 27, 2025 / MASLD Circadian Disruption / MASLD Neuroinflammation / Liver Disease Sleep Disorders
Early-stage MASLD in rats disrupts circadian rhythms and induces neuroinflammation—particularly in the cerebellum and frontal cortex—prior to overt liver symptoms. These findings suggest potential early neurological biomarkers for MASLD progression and opportunities for earlier intervention.
European Medicines Agency Approves First AI Tool for Fatty Liver Disease Trials
March 31, 2025 / MASH AI Diagnosis / EMA Approves AI Tool / Fatty Liver Disease Clinical Trials / MASLD Pathology Innovation
The EMA has approved AIM-MASH AI Assist, the first AI tool qualified to assess MASH severity in clinical trials. It standardizes liver biopsy scoring, enhancing patient selection and outcome evaluation for MASH therapies targeting advanced liver disease.
Cardiovascular mortality increases with stage of cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic syndrome “
March 31, 2025 / CKM Syndrome Stages / Cardiovascular Mortality Risk / Kidney Metabolic Disease / CKM Staging Validation / Heart Disease Progression
A new study confirms that advancing stages of cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic (CKM) syndrome correlate with increased cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, validating the CKM staging system as a specific predictor of cardiovascular risk, but not cancer or non-cardiovascular mortality.
New study links metabolic defects to Dravet syndrome
March 25, 2025 / University of Colorado / Dravet Syndrome Metabolism / Mitochondrial Dysfunction Epilepsy / Energy Metabolism Dravet / Metabolic Biomarkers
A University of Colorado study found mitochondrial dysfunction and altered energy metabolism in lymphoblast cell lines from children with Dravet syndrome, linking metabolic defects to the condition’s neurological symptoms and opening new pathways for targeted therapeutic strategies.
Poor sleep linked to advanced stages of a complex heart and kidney disease syndrome
March 25, 2025 / CKM Syndrome Sleep Quality / Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic Disease / Chronic Disease Risk / Metabolic Health
A cross-sectional study found that poor sleep quality is associated with advanced stages of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, highlighting sleep as a potential modifiable factor in disease progression, though causality remains unproven pending longitudinal research.
PCOS with diagnosed depression may signal greater cardiometabolic risk
March 25, 2025 / PCOS Depression Metabolic Risk / Women’s Health / Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Cardiometabolic / Type 2 Diabetes / Mental Health Metabolic Syndrome
Women with PCOS and coexisting depression face a 56% higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome, suggesting a significant link between mental health and cardiometabolic disease progression, including increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications.
Positive Results for Tirzepatide in Those With the Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Triad | ACC 2025
March 31, 2025 / Tirzepatide Cardiovascular Kidney Benefit / CKM Syndrome Treatment Tirzepatide / Obesity Kidney Trial / Mounjaro Zepbound Heart Failure
Tirzepatide significantly reduced cardiovascular events and showed signs of kidney protection in patients with or without chronic kidney disease and HFpEF, supporting its role in managing the interconnected cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, according to new results from the SUMMIT trial.
Targeting senescent hepatocytes for treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and multi-organ dysfunction
March 28, 2024 / MASLD Senescent Hepatocytes / SHGS Liver Disease Biomarker / Metabolic Liver Treatment / MASLD Progression
Researchers identified a unique gene signature in senescent hepatocytes driving MASLD progression. Targeting these SHGS+ cells with senolytics improved liver disease in mice and showed potential to reduce multi-organ dysfunction, offering a promising therapeutic avenue.
What to know about diet soda and diabetes
March 25, 2024 / Diet Soda Diabetes Risk / Artificial Sweeteners Metabolic Syndrome / Diabetic Retinopathy / Type 2 Diabetes Prevention
Though sugar-free, diet sodas are linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and weight gain. Regular consumption may contribute to diabetic complications like proliferative diabetic retinopathy, especially in individuals with obesity or preexisting metabolic risks.
Why Non-Diabetics Are Using Continuous Glucose Monitors?
March 26, 2024 / Continuous Glucose Monitoring Non-diabetics / Weight Loss / Metabolic Health Tracking / Biohacking with CGM
Non-diabetics are increasingly using continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to optimize metabolic health, athletic performance, and detect early glucose dysregulation. While promising, concerns remain regarding overuse, limited clinical validation, and potential misinterpretation of glucose data outside clinical contexts.