A PILL to make you buff is a step nearer to reality as inventors move onto the next phase of human trials.
Scientists say the drug, currently known as ATR-258, can burn off fat but save muscle.
It would overcome an issue with which shrink muscle as well asflab.
This can leave people weak and make them look more skinny or .
Preserving muscle while fat burns off could help slimmers stay toned, as well as boosting their .
Professor Tore Bengtsson, founder of manufacturer Atrogi, said: “This pill can actively reshape body composition, reducing fat while preserving muscle mass, all without requiring dietary restriction.
“That’s unprecedented.”;
The drug was invented to treat obesity and type 2 .
Results of the first phase trial, on 48 patients, were published in the journal Cell and showed it was safe for humans to take.
Prof Bengtsson, also of Stockholm University, now plans to trial it on a bigger group of overweight people to see if it works as well as it did in animal studies.
It functions by triggering the metabolism in the muscles, activating them to burn more fat.
This is different to injections like , which use hormones in the brain to banish hunger.
Two thirds of adults in the UK are overweight or obese and the issue has rocketed since the 1990s.
Prof Bengtsson said: “Our results point to a future where we can improve metabolic health without losing muscle mass.
“Muscles are important in both type 2 diabetes and obesity, and muscle mass is also directly correlated with life expectancy.”;
