Interesting Links for 08-03-2025

[andrewducker]

1. Naturally occurring molecule rivals Ozempic in weight loss, sidesteps side effects (in mice and pigs)

(tags:weight health medicine hormones )

Comments

[juan_gandhi]

Looks like a very good news. With the pharmacy prices of Trulicity in the US, "natural molecules" may save many families.

[channelpenguin]

You might be out of luck there...

The process to get BRPs seems a bit involved, it doesn't read to me like it's especially "natural" in the sense of something that's just floating about somewhere.

"Svensson and Coassolo are inventors on patents regarding BRP peptides for metabolic disorders. Svensson is a co-founder of Merrifield Therapeutics."

[channelpenguin]

I wonder if it retains the "compulsion reduction" benefits (like we've seen with alcohol and, I think, other compulsive behaviours).

First person reports I've seen from people taking semaglutide drugs have said the reduction in "food noise" in the brain and the reduction in compulsion to binge have been the most welcome effects.

[andrewducker]

Yeah, that's what I've heard too. And it seems to have similar effects on alcohol and other substances.

[anna_wing]

Yes, the fascinating thing was the reporting that the GLP-1 agonists also reduce compulsions about other things too.

So often, addictive behaviour just transfers to something else - from cigarettes to food, from alcohol to food or cigarettes etc etc. A friend of mine described the effect as "instant Enlightenment", in the sense of the Buddhist goal of ending desire, as a necessary step on the path to achieving Nirvana/Nibbana.