New ‘dream' daily weight loss pill ‘better than surgery OR fat jabs' and has ‘minimal to no side effects'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A DAILY weight loss pill is a safer alternative to gastric bypass surgery, makers say.
The tablet does the same job by making people feel full for longer.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
1
A daily weight loss pill, the Synt-101 pill, is a safer alternative to gastric bypass surgery, makers say
Credit: Getty
Its developers say the treatment is a better way to lose weight than surgery or fat jabs, which can trigger severe side-effects.
A pilot human trial on nine patients indicated the pill was safe to use and reduced hunger signals.
It contains a chemical called polydopamine that reacts with an enzyme in the gut to create a lining which moves digestion to an area where fullness hormones are triggered.
The mucosal membrane is then naturally excreted by the body each day. Gastric bypass surgery disconnects the stomach from the small intestine and reattaches it lower down to achieve the same effect.
It is effective but only a few thousand patients have the operation each year on the NHS.
The Synt-101 pill was developed by US company Syntis Bio.
Chief executive Rahul Dhanda told the European Congress on Obesity in Spain: 'The dream is to have this be the go-to drug for weight management.
'The obvious benefit over gastric bypass surgery is you could avoid an invasive procedure and take a daily pill instead.
"Plus a gastric bypass is irreversible whereas you can stop this when you no longer want it.
'This integrates with the mucosal membrane which is naturally excreted by the body. You take the pill once a day in the morning and it should be cleared by the next day.'
40 Day Health Challenge pro reveals top tips to avoid snacking
Mr Dhanda said the pill could also be taken by patients who have come off GLP-1 weight loss injections, such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.
He said: 'The problem with GLP-1s is they are not very tolerable.
'An oral pill is the rational choice because it's simple, tolerable and safe.
'I anticipate the side-effects to be minimal to none.'
'Golden age' for fat fight
A GOLDEN age of obesity treatment is on the horizon with more than 150 new drugs in clinical trials, experts say.
But they need to be rolled out quicker to the 16million fat people in Britain, they believe.
The European Congress on Obesity heard pharma companies are spending billions targeting hunger hormones.
Dr Louis Aronne, of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, said: 'I call this the golden age of obesity treatment.'
It could take the NHS 12 years to supply all those who need them.
Prof Jason Halford, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, said: 'These drugs have the potential to help millions.
'If the Government and NHS are serious about prevention, they need to reconsider the speed of the rollout of these drugs.'
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.'
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
an hour ago
- Times
NHS struggles to turn cash into care
The NHS is one of the worst health systems in the western world at converting money into better care, a report by the TaxPayers' Alliance suggests. Researchers examined data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to compare 13 health systems, including in the UK, Canada, Australia, France and Germany, and found the UK had the lowest life expectancy and highest rates of avoidable deaths. It showed that the NHS struggled to convert funding into more resources such as doctors, nurses, hospital beds or scanners, with two thirds of its budget swallowed up by staffing costs, including pensions. The TaxPayers' Alliance report said: 'Without a serious improvement in productivity, the extra cash released by Rachel Reeves is unlikely to be noticed by patients.' The NHS was handed an extra £29 billion in Labour's spending review this month and is on track to take up 50 per cent of all public spending by the end of the decade. However, experts have warned that the money will be wasted unless the NHS can improve efficiency and productivity. The TaxPayers' Alliance report said the UK ranked third highest out of the 13 countries in terms of how much is spent on health as a percentage of GDP. However, it only ranked 12th by the metric of converting money into resources that can help treat patients. • The Times View: Wes Streeting must transform Britain's crippled health services The NHS also ranked 11th when it came to capital spending on new technology and hospitals. The researchers said priority 'must be given to capital investment over further expansions on staff' in order to boost productivity. The figures showed that the NHS spends 64 per cent of its budget on staffing, far more than comparable countries such as New Zealand or Ireland, which spend 42 per cent and 33 per cent respectively. This was largely due to generous public-sector pensions for doctors and other NHS staff. There have been calls for reforms to rebalance NHS remuneration away from pensions towards take-home pay. Last year a report by Lord Darzi highlighted a collapse in NHS productivity in the past decade. It found that the hospital workforce had risen by 17 per cent between 2019 and 2023, yet output had not risen at nearly the same rate, which was largely due to a failure to invest in upgrading equipment and buildings. • Darzi report: money alone can't cure what ails NHS Darwin Friend, head of research of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Our comprehensive analysis of healthcare productivity is by no means all doom and gloom, with the NHS clearly performing well in some areas, particularly when looking at its use of existing resources. 'But it does paint a bleak picture for taxpayers, given the overwhelming evidence to suggest that the vast extra funding announced at the spending review will simply be throwing good money after bad without more fundamental and far-reaching reform. 'If the government wants to deliver on its promises, it will need to be far braver than politicians have been and consider changes previously considered unpalatable, including regional pay bargaining, the prioritisation of capital spending and a role for more insurance-based financing. 'It will also have to face down demands for increased pay, given the disproportionate amount of the NHS budget that is swallowed up by staffing.' Kristian Niemietz, head of political economy at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: 'In state-run health systems like the British NHS, there is often a temptation to prioritise day-to-day spending over long-term investment. Politicians know that by the time the detrimental effects become apparent, somebody else will be in charge and it will be somebody else's problem. 'The paper also shows that while the NHS cannot be described as 'underfunded', it is in a very real sense under-resourced. These are not the same thing — a pile of cash does not magically transform itself into a doctor, a nurse or an MRI scanner. The NHS is remarkably bad at converting its financial resources into medical inputs.' The report analysed data from 13 countries: Portugal, South Korea, Norway, Germany, Spain, Australia, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, New Zealand, France, the UK and Canada.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Domestic abuse is ‘public health emergency', experts say after critical NHS report
Domestic abuse is a public health emergency, experts have claimed, after a report concluded that the NHS is failing victims by not training staff to spot and respond to the signs of domestic violence. About one in four people (21.6%) in England and Wales aged 16 years and over have experienced domestic abuse, affecting 12.6 million people, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. Analysis shows that the NHS has more contact with victims and perpetrators than any other public service. But new research by the charity Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse (Stada) claims the health service is missing vital opportunities to save lives. It examined all the official reviews of domestic abuse-related homicides and suicides published in 2024 and found that about 90% cited safeguarding failings by the NHS. Lack of domestic abuse training was the most frequent criticism identified. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance advises mandatory training for frontline NHS staff in identifying and properly caring for domestic abuse victims. But Stada's analysis found that such training was 'sporadic and inconsistent'. The report also highlights repeated failures by the NHS to record risks, share information and get victims help from other specialists such as alcohol and mental health services, and independent domestic violence advisers. The findings follow a separate study published in the Lancet Regional Health Europe, which calculated that 26% of all women who died by suicide, and were known to secondary mental health services, had been a victim of domestic violence. The government is due to publish its strategy this summer on how to meet its pledge to halve violence against women and girls by 2034. But without urgent action, this ambition will not be achieved, the Stada report concludes. The NHS should fund mandatory, standardised domestic abuse training for frontline health professionals and specialist support such as mental health domestic violence advisers, the study recommends. Data recording and information sharing should also be improved. Cherryl Henry-Leach, the chief executive of Stada, said: 'We call on the government to recognise domestic abuse as a public health issue. 'Treating [domestic abuse] solely as a criminal justice issue costs lives. The NHS has more contact with victims and perpetrators than any other public service, making it uniquely positioned to address this crisis.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Tim Woodhouse, a suicide prevention specialist and author of the Churchill Fellowship report on suicide and domestic violence, said: 'Domestic abuse is a public health emergency. The level of physical and mental pain imposed on victims (and their children) by perpetrators is immense and we know that, for many, that mental torture becomes too great and they end up taking their own life. 'I've calculated that 1,800 people a year could be dying in domestic abuse-related suicides every year. This is a tragically high waste of life, and a national scandal.' Andrea Simon, the director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said: 'Healthcare workers are often the first, and only, point of contact for victims of abuse and it is essential they are equipped to identify, signpost and safeguard victims who need support. As this report shows, the consequences of inaction can be serious harm, including death. It's time the government took action on repeated recommendations in domestic homicide reviews and ensured all health professionals receive comprehensive training, including on the risk posed by domestic abuse-related suicides.' Prof Kamila Hawthorne, the chair of the Royal College of GPs, said given the trusted relationships GPs have with patients, 'it is concerning to hear that opportunities to help victims might be being missed'. More training would be welcomed and valuable, she added, 'as long as these are appropriately funded, take into consideration the existing training that GPs receive on safeguarding, and the workload pressures we face daily'. An NHS spokesperson said: 'All NHS staff are required to complete safeguarding training on domestic violence and abuse to give them the skills and knowledge they need to support victims and survivors, and this training is currently being updated.' A government spokesperson said: 'We remain resolute in our mission to tackle domestic abuse and put a system in place that protects victims, supports their journey to justice and holds perpetrators to account. 'Healthcare professionals are often the first lifeline for domestic abuse victims – playing a vital role in supporting them to overcome trauma and rebuild their lives – and we have prioritised funding to deliver an additional 345,000 NHS talking therapies interventions to ensure survivors get the support they need. 'Through our plan for change, we are developing a coordinated approach across government, underpinned by a new strategy to be published later this year, to prevent domestic abuse and protect victims.' In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit the Men's Advice Line or Women's Aid. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via
Edinburgh Reporter
3 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Nikki is guest of honour at Pretty Muddy
At Cancer Research UK's Race For Life on Sunday the guest of honour, Nikki Milligan sent everyone on their way. She attended along with her partner Jason McFarlane and their daughters Zoe, aged six, and Abbie who is one year old. Nikki sounded the starter horn to start all the 1,500 participants off on the muddy race round the obstacle course in The Meadows. The race raised around £160,000 for cancer research. Nikki picked up a medal after completing the 5K Pretty Muddy with her childhood friend Claire Wright. Afterwards she said: 'I am incredibly grateful to be here to raise my two girls. 'It's hard to put in to words exactly how it feels to be healthy and surrounded by love. This summer will mark three years of me being in remission from cancer. I will forever be thankful to my family for their unwavering support and to the NHS for getting me better. 'I'm proud to be able to help others. I want to support research for people going through cancer right now and to help find better treatments for my daughters' generation.' Nikki recalls vividly the uncertainty she felt on January 13 2022 when doctors at the Western General Hospital told her she had Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. She had first contacted her GP in December the year before after a lump had appeared near her collar bone and she had suffered symptoms including night sweats. She had an x-ray after blood tests indicated there may be an issue and only hours after the x-ray the GP called her. Nikki said: 'I thought the x-ray results would take around 10 days to come so when my GP called me back the same day I knew the news wouldn't be good. 'They'd found a tumour on my neck and my chest. I had a biopsy on Christmas eve 2021. My daughter was only three at the time and going through Christmas waiting for those final January results was hard.' Nikki lost her hair to the side effects of treatment. She had six months of chemotherapy in total including two stays in hospital. But on August 18 2022, she completed her final session, after which it took time to build back strength. Just months later, Nikki was overjoyed to discover she was pregnant again. Her younger daughter Abbie was born on December 26 2023. Nikki said: 'I feel so lucky. After treatment for cancer, I didn't even know if I'd be able to have another child but here we are blessed with our Boxing Day baby.' Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK's spokesperson in Scotland, said: 'We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took part in Pretty Muddy Edinburgh. 'No matter how cancer affects us, life is worth racing for. Sadly nearly 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime but all of us can support the research that will beat it. We're proud that Race for Life has had such a positive impact. Every pound raised supports our life-saving work, which has helped double cancer survival in the UK over the last 50 years. 'It was a fantastic day at Pretty Muddy Edinburgh, full of emotion, courage, tears, laughter and hope as people celebrated the lives of those dear to them who have survived cancer and remembered loved ones lost to the disease. 'Now we're asking everyone who took part to return the money they're raised as soon as possible. Every donation, every pound raised will make a real difference. ' Diane Graham, a volunteer from the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh superstore at Corstorphine also completed Pretty Muddy. She took part along with CRUK superstore manager Steven Storrier who celebrated his 52nd birthday over the weekend. Steven said: 'I can think of no better way to celebrate my birthday. 'Almost every day in the superstore people share with us their reasons for supporting Cancer Research UK. I am in awe of our customers who do so much to support the charity. Pretty Muddy is a chance for me to give a little bit back.' Pretty Muddy in Edinburgh ALL PHOTOS © Lesley Martin/Lesley Martin Photography 22 June 2025 © Lesley Martin/Lesley Martin Photography 22 June 2025 Left to right Claire Wight, 31, and Nikki Milligan, 31 Left to right Zoe McFarlane, 6, dad Jason McFarlane, mum Nikki Milligan and Abbie McFarlane, one Mum of two Nikki Milligan in remission from cancer is the official starter at Cancer Research UK's Pretty Muddy Edinburgh Pretty Muddy in the Meadows Right to left Nikki Milligan in remission from cancer crosses the finish line of Pretty Muddy Edinburgh with daughter Zoe, six, and her friend Claire Wight People take part in CRUK Pretty Muddy in The Meadows, Edinburgh. ©Lesley Martin/Lesley Martin Photography Like this: Like Related
