New drug to stop 'Ozempic butt' muscle loss
Summary
A new drug called apitegromab may help people using obesity medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro keep more muscle while losing fat. In a study, adults who took apitegromab with their weight-loss medicine preserved more muscle compared to those who didn’t get the drug.Key Facts
- Some obesity drugs cause weight loss partly by reducing muscle, leading to changes like "Ozempic butt" (a flatter, saggy appearance in the buttocks).
- Around one-third of the weight lost from GLP-1 obesity drugs can come from muscle instead of fat.
- Apitegromab blocks a protein that breaks down muscle, helping to preserve muscle during weight loss.
- In a six-month trial with 102 adults, those using apitegromab kept about 55% more muscle compared to people on a placebo.
- Apitegromab is currently available only in clinical trials and is given by vein, but may be developed for self-injection in the future.
- GLP-1 obesity drugs reduce appetite and make people feel full, causing rapid weight loss mostly through eating less.
- Experts advise people on these drugs to eat well and do strength exercises to keep muscles strong.
- More research is needed to confirm if keeping more muscle improves overall health and strength.
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