LONDON (Reuters) - A drug in development that mimics a health-boosting compound found in red wine may be a powerful weapon in the fight against obesity and diabetes, researchers said on Tuesday.
A study of mice showed that the GlaxoSmithKline drug SRT1720 was about a thousand times more potent than resveratrol in activating an enzyme that helped the animals burn more energy and lower their insulin and glucose levels.
Mice fed a high-fat diet were tricked into switching their metabolisms to a fat-burning mode that normally takes over when energy levels are low, researchers reported in the journal Cell Metabolism.
"We are activating the same enzymes that are activated when people go to the gym," said Peter Elliott, a vice president at Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, the Glaxo unit that developed the drug. "That is why we believe the profile for this drug is very safe."
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE4A36OV20081104
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