LONDON: Scientists have described a drug which hijacks the body’s appetite system as a potential “game changer” in treating obesity after research showed it could cut body weight by up to 20 percent.

The results from the large-scale international trial, which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed more than one-third of those who took the drug semaglutide lost over one-fifth of their body weight.

The study, which involved almost 2,000 people in 16 countries, also showed three-quarters of those who took the drug lost more than 10 percent of their bodyweight.

The drug is currently used to treat diabetes and works by altering appetite regulation to reduce calorie intake.

One of the main authors of the study, Rachel Batterham from University College London, called the study a “major breakthrough”.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2021