Obesity controlled by pills
The obesity research is being led by Professor John Prins and Dr Louise Hutley.
IMAGINE THIS. Losing weight and keeping those extra kilos off simply by taking a pill.
That's the goal of a Brisbane company whose research into the causes of obesity could have a remarkable impact on one of the world's biggest and growing health problems.
Scientists at Adipogen Pty Ltd have identified a protein that causes fat cells to form in the body and are currently working on the development of a drug to inhibit this protein and control a person's body fat.
If you think you've heard this before, you're right. There already are a number of anti-obesity drugs on the market. The trouble is, says Adipogen director Dr Peter Devine, existing therapies rely on suppressing appetite or preventing absorption of fat and are not totally successful in targeting the disease.
"The really exciting thing about this work is Adipogen is actually getting to the cause of the disease. The outcome will be a tablet that stops fat forming in the body."
Obesity has become a global epidemic, particularly in developed countries.
An Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study in 2000 showed 47 per cent of Australian adults were overweight and 20 per cent obese. A recent World Health Organisation survey revealed 66 per cent of men and 51 per cent of women in Queensland were overweight or obese.
Obesity results in many medical complications, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Adipogen was formed in 2002 and is a partnership between the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Uniquest Pty Ltd and Uniseed Pty Ltd. The company received a boost in January this year when it was given $250,000 in funding from the Queensland Government's BioStart program.
Professor Prins is Adipogen's technical founder and scientific director. He is Professor of Endocrinology in the School of Medicine at the University of Queensland and the Director of Diabetes and Endocrinology at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Dr Hutley was awarded a Smart State Fellowship in 2003 for her work on the project.
The research is being conducted at the Department of Medicine at the University of Queensland and the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
The Adipogen research group is currently testing a number of compounds for effectiveness in inhibiting fat cell growth in the laboratory, with positive results. Plans are underway to start animal studies by mid 2004.
Email: p.devine@uniseed.com
Last reviewed 19 January 2006