Study Finds BAM15 as Potential Treatment for Obesity

A new study shows the first evidence that a chemical compound, BAM15, which acts as an energy uncoupler, could be an effective drug for treating obesity and related diseases.

Researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, noted that global spending on obesity and related illnesses is more than $150 billion a year.

“Despite this, only a handful of medications are currently FDA-approved for obesity treatment, and the people who take these drugs rarely achieve long-term weight loss,” John Kirwan, PhD, executive director of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, said in a press release. “Halting the obesity epidemic requires new, more effective medications. This research represents a very promising step in the discovery process.”

BAM15 works by reducing the amount of food a person eats or the calories their bodies absorb, which differs from other weight-management medications, according to the press release. The compound makes the mitochondria less efficient, resulting in the mitochondria burning more energy, according to the study.

The researchers said BAM15 could be used to treat a number of health conditions, including diabetes, fatty liver disease, and some forms of cancer.

The other benefits of BAM15 include reducing blood sugar and insulin levels, improving sensitivity of skeletal muscle to the effects of insulin, and reducing fat accumulation overall by restricting fat from building up in the liver, kidney, and blood, according to the study.

REFERENCE

Study discovers BAM15 as a potential treatment for obesity. Pennington Biomedical Research Center. https://www.pbrc.edu/news/press-releases/?ArticleID=586. Published June 10, 2020. Accessed August 12, 2020.