A new weight loss medication, known as ecnoglutide, has shown significant promise in a recent clinical trial, outperforming existing treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Conducted by researchers in China, the trial indicates that ecnoglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, could provide more effective weight-loss results compared to the established treatment dulaglutide.
Both ecnoglutide and semaglutide, which is marketed under brand names such as Ozempic and Wegovy, work by mimicking the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone. This mechanism enhances insulin production, suppresses appetite, and slows digestion, thus regulating blood sugar levels. Ecnoglutide, however, is designed to specifically activate the cAMP pathway, which is crucial for the benefits associated with GLP-1, without influencing other chemical pathways. This focused approach may give ecnoglutide a competitive advantage over current treatments.
The trial included 621 participants, aged between 18 and 75, all diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and already receiving the first-line medication metformin. Over the course of one year, participants were administered weekly doses of either ecnoglutide or dulaglutide. While both treatments effectively lowered blood sugar levels, those on ecnoglutide experienced nearly double the weight loss compared to those receiving dulaglutide.
The results suggest that ecnoglutide could be a more effective option, even at lower doses. Researchers also anticipate that ecnoglutide may be easier and more cost-effective to manufacture than existing GLP-1 medications.
“Apart from glycaemic effects, both doses of ecnoglutide induced statistically significantly greater reductions in body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, and triglycerides, all of which are cardiovascular risk factors, than dulaglutide,” the researchers noted in their published paper in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
While some participants reported side effects such as nausea and diarrhea, these symptoms typically diminished over time. The researchers highlighted the need for future investigations to directly compare ecnoglutide with semaglutide and to assess its effectiveness in larger, more diverse populations. Additionally, studies could explore the potential benefits of combining ecnoglutide with other anti-diabetic medications.
As a relatively new class of treatments, GLP-1 receptor agonists continue to be scrutinized for their long-term effects, including concerns regarding pancreatic health and vision issues. Despite these considerations, the success of medications like Wegovy has spurred pharmaceutical companies to pursue improved versions of existing treatments, with ecnoglutide potentially representing a significant advancement.
“These results suggest that ecnoglutide might help to address certain unmet needs in type 2 diabetes management and represent a potential advance in diabetes therapy,” the researchers concluded. The ongoing evolution of diabetes treatments underscores the importance of continued research in this critical area of healthcare.
