Treating obese mice with disulfiram — a drug that doctors usually prescribe for alcohol use disorder — led to significant weight loss and improved metabolic health, a new study reports.
Obesity is a major health problem facing societies across the globe. Rates of obesity have almost tripled since 1975, with at least 650 million adults worldwide now living with this condition.
This high prevalence has made obesity a public health priority, as the consequences of this condition include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and a higher risk of some cancers.
The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has focused attention on the issue again, as data seem to suggest that obesity also puts people at a higher risk of severe symptoms and complications of COVID-19.
The causes of obesity are complex, and achieving a moderate weight can be difficult. Limited treatment options are available outside of lifestyle changes, and for many, these simply do not lead to significant or sustainable weight loss.
Now, scientists from the National Institute on Aging have led research that may have discovered a new treatment for the condition, in the form of an existing drug that doctors have conventionally used to treat chronic alcohol use disorder.
In the journal Cell Metabolism, the researchers describe data suggesting that it might be possible to repurpose disulfiram to treat people with obesity.
Disulfiram, which is available under the brand name Antabuse, is an established drug for the treatment of chronic alcohol use disorder. It is FDA-approved and has been in use for more than 70 years.
The medical community describes it as an aversive therapy because it causes people to feel unpleasant effects similar to those of a hangover — for example, nausea, headaches, and vomiting — almost immediately after they consume any alcohol.
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