Weight loss patch proves successful in lowering body fat in trials

A team of scientists in Singapore may have a new weapon in the battle against obesity.

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University have created a patch that has proven in lab tests to reduce belly fat in mice. It works by turning “energy-storing white fat into energy-burning brown fat.”

The innovation is how the medicine is delivered, using a patch with microneedles smaller than a human hair. Mice wearing this patch for four weeks reduced their body fat by 30 percent and lowered their cholesterol and fatty acid levels, all while being fed a high-fat diet.

The drugs used on the patch are both approved by the FDA - one for overactive bladder, and the other for an under-active thyroid. Scientists believe by delivering the drugs to the site of the issue rather than going through the digestive tract helps lessen side effects.

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