An Improved Ozempic: Scientists Discover Method To Reduce Side Effects of Popular Weight Loss Drugs

University of Michigan research shows that manipulating brain proteins melanocortin 3 and 4 can boost the effectiveness of diabetes and weight-loss drugs, reducing side effects and potentially enhancing treatment outcomes.

New research from the University of Michigan suggests that a network of proteins in the central nervous system may be used to enhance the efficacy and minimize the side effects of widely used diabetes and weight-loss medications.

The study, published on July 15 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, focused on two proteins called melanocortin 3 and melanocortin 4 found primarily on the surface of neurons in the brain that play a central role in regulating feeding behavior and maintaining the body’s energy balance.

Melanocortin 3 and melanocortin 4 impact everything from sensing long-term energy stores to processing signals from the gut regarding short-term fullness, or satiety, said U-M physiologist Roger Cone, who led the study.