NZ researchers on cusp of new obesity treatment
Unlike drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro, which suppress appetite and can result in the loss of muscle mass, this new treatment would target the body’s fat-storage and leave appetite untouched
RNZ Onlineand Morning Report
11 August 2026
3 min read
RNZ Onlineand Morning Report
11 August 2026
3 min read
Caption:GLP-1s like Wegovy and Mounjaro don’t work for everyone, but we don’t hear much about the non-success stories.Photo credit:RNZ
Researchers at the University of Auckland are developing an obesity treatment that they hope will provide a new way to lose weight, without suppressing appetite
Unlike drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, which suppressed appetite and could result in the loss of muscle mass, this new treatment would target the body’s fat-storage process
University of Auckland Molecular Medicine and Pathology Professor Peter Shepherd told RNZ’s Morning Report
the treatment would shift fat around the body and burn it in a different way
Researchers on cusp of new obesity treatment
Morning Report
“If you have to stop eating, and having the odd glass of wine. What’s life worth? So with our one, looks like you’ll be able to keep eating relatively normally and your fat just gets burned off.”
Peter Shepherd said obesity usually developed at the rate of “one French fry a day” of excess energy, which built up slowly over time
That meant it was possible to redirect that small amount of energy, he said
“It’s a tiny fraction of energy difference a day that’s making this difference. You can say ‘why don’t we just eat one less French fry a day?’ But our body is telling us to eat that extra French fry a day, and what this medicine is doing it telling you to burn off that one French fry.”
Investigator in the studies, Chris Hedges, said the muscle loss that could result from other treatments were particularly dangerous for older people
“It can lead to frailty, increasing the risk of falls and fractures and reducing the ability to recover strength.”
Shepherd said the new drug seemed to work better in post-menopausal women and men
“Whereas Mounjaro and Wegovy work better in pre-menopausal women, so I think it’ll complement the current range of drugs that are out there. It’s not a one size fits all thing.”
The research was in the pre-clinical development phase, Shepherd said, and he hoped it would be trialled on humans in the next two or three years
Shepherd hoped the medicine would stay as a New Zealand investment, and could become the next Kiwi business success story
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11 August 2026
