Weight-loss wonder pharmaceuticals Ozempic and Mounjaro may have a new rival to contend with as early as 2026, which is expected to have significantly fewer side effects—if not none at all.
The news follows various studies indicating that the use of GLP-1 medications has exceeded 700% since 2019. In fact, it has become so popular that nearly every celeb who loses weight sparks Ozempic rumors.
Highlights
- New synthesized molecule tridecaneuropeptide could offer weight loss benefits without the side effects of GLP-1 drugs.
- Targets support cells instead of neurons.
- “Like starting a marathon halfway,” says lead researcher.
The upcoming offering has shown promise in lab tests and is set to undergo its first human trials.
The new pharmaceutical will be like starting from the halfway mark, while Ozempic runs a full marathon
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A study published by Sci Tech Daily notes that, until now, the creators of weight loss medication have focused mainly on the part of the nervous system located at the back of the brain.
According to Professor Robert Doyle at Syracuse University, going about it this way is like “running a marathon from the very beginning.”
The new research deals with the support cells south of these nerves and will be “like starting the race halfway through.”
Image credits: Syracuse University
It will involve a synthesized molecule named tridecaneuropeptide (TDN), which can be administered to human weight loss candidates via injection.
It is expected to bypass a part of the nervous system
TDN will bypass the neurons targeted by GLP-1 medications and target the support cells–which are responsible for appetite suppression–downstream of them.
Image credits: Syracuse University
“If we could hit that downstream process directly, then potentially we wouldn’t have to use GLP-1 dr**s with their side effects,” Doyle said.
“Or we could reduce their dose, improving the toleration of these dr**s. We could trigger weight loss signals that happen later in the pathway more directly.”
One aspect of the substance that scientists are already selling is its lack of side effects
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Bored Panda reported on a British woman who went viral for documenting her Mountjaro weight loss journey over ten months.
While she celebrated the victory of shedding 84 lbs, she detailed her body’s reactions to the substance, which included sulfur burps, hair loss, and acid reflux.
According to Doyle, the new medication, which will be tested under the company CoronationBio (explicitly formed for this purpose), will reduce “the unpleasant side effects many people experience.”
It comes at a time when every model who loses weight has to endure Ozempic speculation
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Celebs like the Kardashians, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Brady, and even Leonardo DiCaprio continue to fend off rumors about using the substance to achieve the “snatched” waists they showed off at Jeff Bezos’ wedding in Venice on June 27.
“While it certainly could be from diet and exercise alone and minimizing his intake of alcohol, it could also be by the assistance of a GLP-1 medication such as Ozempic,” an expert told an outlet in the same year.
Not to be forgotten is Kate Beckinsale, who recently posted images of herself looking rakishly thin, drawing comments like, “I honestly think you have a problem!!! You don’t look good,” along with the inevitable, “Stop with the Ozempic.”
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Ozempic has also been blamed for the “extinction” of plus–sized models.
In a March 18 op-ed, model and activist Felicity Haywood wrote:
“The rise of the Ozempic trend in the US is still hanging around, three years after its first popularity—and it was quite apparent the impact of this trend.”
“The rise of the Ozempic trend in the US is still hanging around, three years after its first popularity—and it was quite apparent the impact of this trend.”
The use of Ozempic has soared by more than 700% since 2019
Image credits: Syracuse University
According to several recent studies, Ozempic use among average citizens in the United States is just as rife.
A study published by the research organization RAND on August 6 found that 11.8 percent of the population had or were using GLP-1 pharmaceuticals, while another 14 percent admitted that they were interested in or planned on taking them.
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According to the publication, these statistics indicated that the “overall rates of use in the population have held steady over the past two years.”
Another study published by the British Medical Journal Group in 2024, however, showed that in the three years prior (between 2019 and 2023), the medication’s use in the US soared from 21,000 to over 174,000, or more than 700%.
The public is not entirely sold on the "no side effects" claim
