‘Remarkable’ targeted new fat jab can give you a ‘flatter stomach’ in three months, researchers discover
A new-generation weight loss jab that destroys fat under the skin could give overweight adults a flat stomach in just a few months, a study suggests.
US researchers say the ‘remarkable’ injection could replace cosmetic procedures like liposuction for toning stubborn areas.
Crucially, scientists found it also reduces levels of dangerous ‘hidden’ visceral fat that surrounds the organs and raises risk of heart attack, diabetes and stroke.
Meanwhile switching to the new jab following a period on Mounjaro or Wegovy could stop the pounds piling back on.
University of Alabama experts found the new drug – known as CBL-514 – resulted in significant reductions in the amount of fat that lies just beneath the skin for 70 per cent of patients.
Using it alongside tirzepatide, otherwise known as Mounjaro, was found to boost its weight-loss effects.
Presenting the findings at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Milan, Dr Timothy Garvey said: ‘We expect that patients will be pleased by the cosmetic effects, such as the flatter stomach that can come with subcutaneous fat loss.
‘But it is the reduction in body weight, loss of visceral fat and the improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and the like that should be associated with this that will be important for health.’
A new weight loss jab that directly targets fat cells could help melt away stubborn belly flab and reduce dangerous hidden fat=
Unlike other common weight loss injections, which mimic the hormone GLP-1 to create feelings of fullness, CBL-514 triggers the self-destruction of fat cells.
In a phase 2 clinical trial, around three-quarters of participants (70 per cent) treated with the drug lost at least 150ml of visible fat over a period of eight weeks.
In animal studies, the injection also reduced levels of visceral fat, reducing the risk of a range of cardiometabolic diseases including heart attack, stroke and fatty liver disease.
Rats given the drug alongside tirzepatide also lost more weight than those given either medication alone, and regained less weight when tirzepatide was stopped.
While researchers do not know exactly why CBL-514 reduced the rebound effect, they say it may be because destroying fat cells limits the amount that can be put back on.
While Wegovy and Mounjaro are effective for weight loss, most users regain the weight inside two years of stopping treatment, according to studies.
The hope is that CBL-514 will help keep the weight off for longer – resulting in long-lasting improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, Dr Garvey said.
However, further research is needed to prove this.
The trial involved 41 participants and was conducted by Dr Garvey, an expert in metabolic diseases, alongside the drug’s developer, Caliway Biopharmaceuticals.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive up to 600mg of CBL-514 or a placebo over the course of three months.
The authors did not specify the frequency of injections but noted that the number depended on how much abdominal fat participants carried.
Hidden visceral fat was also measured throughout the study using MRI scans.
A month after the last treatment, those given CBL-514 had around 12 per cent less visceral fat than at the start of the study, while levels increased by almost 6 per cent in the placebo group.
After two months, participants who received the drug had about 10 per cent less dangerous visceral fat than when they started.
By contrast, those given a placebo had around 12 per cent (11.8) more.
CBL-514 was well-tolerated, with the only side-effects being redness and pain around the injection site.
The team concluded that CBL-514 could significantly reduce both dangerous visceral fat and stubborn belly fat, potentially offering a far less invasive alternative to surgical procedures that remove visible fat beneath the skin.
Two phase 3 trials – which will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the drug for belly fat reduction – are set to begin soon.
Dr Marie Spreckley, an expert in metabolic disorders at the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the current study, described the results as ‘encouraging’.
However, she added larger trials with longer follow-up are needed to establish whether the fat reduction lasts and whether it leads to improvements in health.
Professor Justin Rochford, from the University of Aberdeen, added that while the drug was originally developed to target fat cells in unusual fatty lumps under the skin, it could be invaluable when it comes to the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases.
However, he cautioned, for it to be successful, researchers will have to show that it does not increase the risk of fat accumulation in other organs.
The findings follow new research that found a double-pronged fat jab, known as EloraTZP, could help patients lose almost a quarter of their body weight within 48 weeks.
Scientists found the drug – which contains both tirzepatide and a compound called eloralintide – resulted in an ‘astonishing’ weight loss of 23.3 per cent – suggesting the combination may be the most powerful yet when it comes to controlling hunger.
