An Australian professor who spent 30 years seeking a treatment for diabetes may have finally come up with the ultimate cure - prevention, reports Reuters.
A fat-busting drug, developed by Frank Ng of Melbourne's Monash University, has completed phase two human trials and so far appears effective and without side-effects.
Based on an element in the human growth hormone that has long been known to reduce body fat, pills could be available in around four years to the millions of people looking for a miracle cure to the bulge.
But it was the fight against obesity-related health problems, such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease that launched Ng on the path to discovering Advanced Obesity Drug 9604.
"We hope to make society a bit healthier, we're not worried about fat people," Ng told Reuters on Wednesday.
Monash University's commercial partner, Melbourne-based Metabolic Pharmaceuticals, said on Monday that Phase 2A double-blind trials with 22 patients found that AOD9604, delivered intravenously, was safe and tolerable. It was most effective on older patients.
While that trial was not aimed specifically at measuring body fat reduction because the dosages were small, the average weight loss among the patients was just over 1.1 pounds after the four-week trial.
The next trial will use the drug in pill form to measure dosage levels. Ng said the plan was to pass all the US legal requirements to market the drug in the United States, the country with the most obese people.
Obesity is one of the main reasons that non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes Type 2, are set to be the new pandemic of the 21st century, according to the World Health Organisation.
One hundred and fifty million people globally have diabetes, and that number is expected to double by 2025.
Millions more, fed on junk food and glued to televisions, have extra stomach padding they want to get rid of.
In Australia alone, a country of just 19.3 million people, consumers spend at least $500,000 (€577,167) a day on diet plans, gyms and others products of the weight-loss industry.
Metabolic shares have jumped to record levels at 98 Australian cents (50 U.S. cents) on Wednesday after being floated four years ago at around 20 cents. On Tuesday, the shares closed at 92 cents.
"The main problem is I get so many phone calls, they all want to participate in a trial. I don't know what to do with them," said Ng.