Regeneron’s Experimental Drug Combination May Help Preserve Muscle Mass During Weight Loss Treatment
According to new data scheduled to be presented at a medical meeting, the experimental weight-loss drug trevogrumab developed by Regeneron, when combined with semaglutide from Novo Nordisk, has reduced the loss of muscle mass by 50% compared with semaglutide alone in patients with obesity.
With the growing popularity of GLP-1-based weight-loss therapies, including semaglutide marketed under the brand name Wegovy for obesity treatment, concerns have increased regarding significant muscle mass loss associated with rapid weight reduction.
Trevogrumab belongs to a different class of targeted therapies that regulate muscle mass by inhibiting myostatin, a protein involved in controlling muscle growth and maintenance.
According to thigh muscle measurements obtained through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), adding a 75 mg dose of trevogrumab to semaglutide prevented more than 70% of muscle mass loss after 52 weeks compared with treatment with semaglutide alone.
Researchers believe that combining muscle-preserving therapies with GLP-1-based weight-loss treatments could represent a new approach in obesity management, aiming not only to achieve effective weight reduction but also to maintain healthier body composition and reduce the potential complications associated with muscle loss.
These findings may contribute to the future development of obesity treatments that focus on both weight reduction and preservation of lean muscle mass, providing a more comprehensive approach to long-term metabolic health.
