Breakthrough Reported in Obesity Treatment
By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
South Korean scientists have claimed a breakthrough in drug development that promises to significantly improve the treatment of obesity and diabetes.
In a study revealed in the online version of peer-review journal Diabetes, the team of researchers, led by Chungnam National University's Shong Min-ho, said it had developed a drug material that lowered the levels of cholesterol and fat in mice by reducing Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide H (NADH) content in cells
The researchers said they applied for patents in 53 countries including the United States, Japan and European countries for the drug materials, targets and usage related to the recent study.
NADH is a non-protein molecule found in all living cells and is involved in processing energy extraction. Reducing NADH content in cells through exercise and strictly controlled diets is considered critical in treating obesity and diabetes.
They claim that lowering NADH levels can be achieved through drug therapy, not just exercise and food, with the drug material, MB12066, successfully tested in lab mice.
After injecting the chemicals for eight weeks, the cholesterol levels in the mice dropped by 36 percent, while the neutral fat level dropped by 18 percent. The blood levels of free fatty acids dropped by 55 percent, they said.
Shong expected clinical trials of for the drug material to be completed within two or three years.
``After completion of the clinical trials, we are planning to transfer the technology to multinational pharmaceutical companies and sell the drugs through markets beyond Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia,'' said Shong.
``We will continue to study the drug material and develop more solutions for the treatment of metabolic diseases,'' he said.