A new weight-loss injection could target beer bellies, according to promising clinical trial findings. Survodutide, an investigational once-weekly jab, reduced liver fat by up to 63% and visceral fat by 34% in trials. These types of fat are linked to metabolic health problems, so future weight-loss treatments may offer benefits beyond the number on the scales.
How survodutide works differently
The drug works differently from established weight-loss injections such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, activating both glucagon and GLP-1 receptors to influence appetite and metabolic processes. In the highest-dose group, participants with obesity but without type 2 diabetes lost up to 16.6% of their body weight over 76 weeks.
Visceral fat is stored around internal organs and causes a round protruding abdomen known as a beer belly. It is also associated with metabolic health risks. Excess liver fat is linked to conditions including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.
Pharmacist's caution on approval
Ruaraidh Buckenham, Senior Governance Pharmacist at Simple Online Pharmacy, said the findings raise interesting questions about the next generation of weight-loss treatments. He said: “The findings around visceral and liver fat are particularly important because these are forms of fat that are closely linked to metabolic health.”
He added: “However, it is important to remember that survodutide is still an investigational medicine and has not been approved for use. As with other medicines in this area, tolerability is an important part of the picture. The headline weight-loss figure is only one measure of whether a treatment is useful in the real world.”
Regional data on weight-loss jabs
Survodutide has not yet been approved for use as a weight-loss treatment. Earlier this year, a study found Geordies are the biggest fans of fat jabs. Researchers analysed weight loss data from 500,000 people on various weight-loss medications across the UK from September 2023 to the start of this year.
They found that the half-million Brits have lost a staggering 4,200 tonnes in weight over the past two-and-a-half years. That is equivalent to the weight of 21 blue whales, the heaviest creatures on planet Earth, with the heaviest ever tipping the scales at 200 tonnes. Blue whales can reach almost 100ft long and are the largest animal ever known to have lived. The study by online doctor ZAVA found that those most likely to be on fat jabs were Geordies, where 107 in every 10,000 locals had signed up for the weight loss treatment.
