An experimental drug for obesity and diabetes is showing encouraging results in early research, offering potential advantages over existing weight-loss medications.

The drug, called GLP-1-GIP-Lani, was developed by scientists at the Institute for Diabetes and Obesity at Helmholtz Munich in Germany and described in the journal Nature.

Led by Professor Timo D. Muller, the team designed the compound as a quintuple agonist that acts on five receptor systems simultaneously.

The drug combines GLP-1 and GIP, two hormones that help regulate appetite and blood sugar, with PPAR activity that may influence insulin sensitivity, inflammation, fat metabolism and liver health.

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Muller called the drug a “Trojan horse” because the incretin component enables it to enter target cells, where the PPAR portion becomes active to improve how the body processes insulin, fat and inflammation.

The researchers believe this dual mechanism could allow for lower dosages and potentially fewer side effects.

“A major advantage is the amount,” Muller said in a release.

“Because the second component is not administered separately and systemically, but ‘travels along’ with the incretin part, it can be used at a dose that is orders of magnitude lower.”

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In preclinical testing, the team studied the compound in several mouse models, including those with diabetes-induced obesity, insulin resistance and genetic obesity.

The results showed that the quintuple agonist reduced food intake, body weight, fat mass, blood sugar and insulin-related problems more than drugs containing only GLP-1 and GIP.

It also performed better than semaglutide in those tests.

According to the study, gastrointestinal side effects were comparable to what has been seen with existing medications. Muller noted that shifting from animal studies to human trials would be the crucial next step.

“We see a principle with strong effects in the animal model — now the task is to optimize the approach for humans and move it toward the clinic,” he said.

Dr. Peter Balazs, a hormone and weight-loss specialist based in New York and New Jersey, said that the compound appears designed to target multiple areas involved in obesity and insulin resistance, including the brain, pancreas and metabolic tissues.

“This is a novel mechanism because it's not just relying on a higher dose of an existing drug,” Balazs said.

He added that while current GLP-1 drugs act as appetite suppressants, this new compound could function both as an “appetite brake” and a “metabolic engine.”

Balazs explained that the quintuple agonist seems to provide the same effects as GLP-1 drugs — such as reduced appetite and delayed gastric emptying — while also improving insulin sensitivity in the liver and muscles, reducing inflammation in adipose tissue and influencing lipid metabolism.

“The result may be greater weight loss through a combination of caloric restriction, enhanced fat oxidation and potentially increased central energy expenditure,” he said.

At the same time, Balazs emphasized that the research remains early.

“Additionally, it was conducted over a relatively short period of time, so we cannot draw conclusions about long-term effects,” he noted.

The Helmholtz Munich team plans to refine the compound’s design before testing it in humans.

For now, scientists say its results in mice provide a strong foundation for future research toward safer, more effective obesity treatments.