The new drug, Sirona, was developed by scientists at the British company Oxford Medical Products. Clinical trials have shown that it helps overweight people lose up to 13.5% of their body mass in six months without the use of hormones or a strict diet.
The drug comes in the form of tablets containing a hydrogel—a safe, dual-polymer material that expands upon reaching the stomach and creates a feeling of fullness. Tests showed that people who received it ate less food, equivalent to 400 calories per day, and the drug showed minimal side effects. Unlike common weight-loss injections that rely on GLP-1, the new drug does not affect the body's hormonal system, does not cause nausea, and does not require close medical supervision, according to its developers.
Professor James Byrne of the University of Bristol, who led the study, noted that this new approach to combating obesity could become an affordable and safe alternative to expensive drugs such as Ozempic or Mounjaro. It could be used not only by obese people, but also by those who want to prevent weight gain or maintain results after discontinuing GLP-1 injections.
