Trials for new weight loss drug begin in Bradford

Researchers developing a new weight loss drug are looking for people to take part in clinical trials in Bradford.

The GLP-1 drug – similar to medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro – is being trialled at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to see if it helps people lose weight, lower blood sugar and improve overall health.

The trials are taking place as part of a project in which NHS centres are used, and paid, to carry out clinical trials for pharmacy companies.

Chief investigator Steven Lindsay said the medication, which would be taken as a weekly injection, could be more effective and have fewer side effects than those already available.

GLP-1s are medicines that help people feel fuller by mimicking a natural hormone released after eating.

In the UK, there are currently several licensed GLP-1 medicines - including Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro - but they are prescription-only.

"It's relatively difficult to get these drugs through primary care in the current climate so people are sourcing them through private providers, and there's always a potential issue there about that sort of pathway," explained Lindsay.

He said one of the issues with non-prescription weight loss drugs is that patients don't receive the holistic care they require.

"You lose weight because you don't eat as much but if you eat the wrong stuff and you're not eating very much, you don't get enough protein in, then you end up losing muscle mass.

"And there's evidence of groups of patients ending up with an assortment of nutritional deficiencies as a consequence of taking a tablet that stops them eating and then just not eating enough of the right stuff."

But if the trial is successful it could mean more approved weight loss drugs become available, he said.

Bradford Teaching Hopsitals is inviting people over 18 who are obese or overweight and have at least one weight-related health condition to take part.

The Bradford trials are just one of many ongoing internationally, as the company behind the drug is Chinese but run from the US, Lindsay said.

It is hoped inviting patients from across Bradford will widen the demographic of people participating, which is important, he said, as women and ethnic minorities are often under-represented in medical trials.

"We're working very hard at trying to increase recruitment from those groups because ideally you want studies that demonstrate benefit across all the groups that you want to treat," he said.

"Anyone who's interested in getting involved in research - it's a good thing to do because you get access to things that aren't there yet. So you get ahead of the game."

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