‘Natural Ozempic’ peptide found
Stanford researchers identified a peptide called BRP that appears to mimic the appetite‑suppressing effects of GLP‑1 drugs but reportedly without many of the unpleasant side effects seen with current medications. The finding is presented as research‑stage — not a consumer treatment — as scientists explore alternatives to existing GLP‑1 therapies. (sciencedaily.com)
Weight-loss drugs work by copying hormone signals that tell the body it has eaten enough. Stanford researchers said a newly identified peptide called BRP cut food intake and body weight in animals by acting on the brain’s appetite center through a different route. (med.stanford.edu) Glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, is a hormone released after eating that can slow stomach emptying, boost insulin release and increase fullness. Drugs such as semaglutide mimic that signal, but GLP-1 receptors are spread across the brain, gut, pancreas, liver, fat tissue, kidneys and heart. (healthlibrary.stanford.edu) Stanford said BRP is a 12-amino-acid peptide, which is a short chain of protein building blocks, and that the team found it with an artificial-intelligence system that screened prohormones for hidden bioactive fragments. The senior author was Katrin Svensson and the lead author was Laetitia Coassolo, and the paper was published in *Nature* on March 5, 2025. (med.stanford.edu; nature.com) The basic idea is narrower targeting. Stanford said semaglutide affects multiple organs because its receptors are widespread, while BRP appeared to act specifically in the hypothalamus, a brain region that helps control appetite and metabolism. (med.stanford.edu) In the animal work, Stanford said BRP reduced food intake in mice over 16 hours and in male Yucatan minipigs over three hours. The university also said the animals did not show nausea, food aversion, constipation or the marked muscle loss often associated with current drugs. (nature.com; med.stanford.edu) That matters because current GLP-1 receptor agonists are effective but not simple. A 2026 umbrella review in *Nature Communications* found benefits across metabolic, cardiovascular, renal and some other outcomes, but also linked the drug class to higher risks of gastrointestinal adverse events and treatment discontinuation. (nature.com) The Stanford finding is still preclinical. The evidence so far comes from mice and pigs, not human trials, and Stanford said Svensson has co-founded a company to move the molecule toward clinical testing in humans. (med.stanford.edu) Other researchers have been looking for obesity treatments that do more than copy GLP-1 alone. *Nature* reported in February 2025 that drugmakers were testing a wave of next-generation candidates aimed at matching weight loss while improving tolerability or adding other health benefits. (nature.com) For now, BRP is best understood as a lab-stage lead, not a prescription option. The next test is whether the cleaner signal Stanford saw in animals still holds up when the peptide is studied in people. (med.stanford.edu)
