New anti-obesity drug could block fat absorption

Scientists have designed a new class of compounds that may reduce weight gain by preventing the body from absorbing fat particles.
Research has shown that worldwide, obesity rates have been climbing for years. Treatments for overweight and obesity include diet and exercise, surgery and prescription medications.
But currently available drugs can have serious side effects, including increased risk of cardiovascular disease and depression.
To help address the global obesity epidemic, scientists are developing a new class of compounds called "micelle sequestrant polymers," or MSPs, that could prevent fat particles from getting absorbed in the body and thus potentially reduce weight gain.

Targeting the body's process of absorbing fat, researchers from the University of Kansas in US designed a class of polymers that capture fat particles called micelles in the intestines so they can't be digested. Instead, they pass through the gut and are excreted.
"We designed and engineered a new class of orally acting pharmaceutical agents, or micelle sequestrant polymers (MSPs), that could respond to the pH change in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and potentially sequester lipid micelles; inhibiting lipid absorption through a pH-triggered flocculation process," researchers said.

In tests, mice who took these MSPs had nine to 10 times the amount of triglycerides - the main dietary fat - in their feces than the control animals.

Additionally, because the MSPs pass through the body unabsorbed, the researchers say they could provide a safe approach for long-term treatment.
The study was published in the journal Biomacromolecules.