A Fat-Melting Drug That Turns Your Own Energy Into Heat

A new experimental drug may open the door to an alternative path for tackling obesity—one that does not rely solely on appetite-suppressing medications. Researchers at the University of Washington have tested a compound called CPACC, which works by stimulating brown fat to burn calories more efficiently, generating heat instead of storing excess energy.

Unlike widely known GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Ozempic or Mounjaro, which help reduce food intake by curbing appetite, this drug aims to tackle excess weight by increasing energy expenditure. In early animal studies, mice treated with CPACC lost significant weight without changes in how much they ate. The mechanism involves blocking a protein called MICU1, which regulates calcium flow into mitochondria, boosting brown adipose tissue’s capacity to generate heat.

Researchers note that activating brown fat could offer a complementary or alternative approach for people who cannot tolerate the side effects of appetite suppressants. However, they caution that these results remain experimental and that clinical trials in humans will be essential to confirm CPACC’s safety and effectiveness.

In a world where the obesity epidemic continues to rise and millions look for sustainable weight-loss options, this approach could provide a promising new tool to modulate metabolism without restricting food intake.

Source: Nature Metabolism