Scientists say a drug used in the treatment of diabetes could be a 'game changer' in the fight against obesity.
A global study has found the drug could cut body fat by up to 20 percent.
Researchers used semaglutide in trials to see the impact it had on weight loss among those who were overweight or obese.
It was self-administered by an injection once a week for 68 weeks, with some losing around 2 and a half stone in weight.
Professor Luke O'Neill from the Trinity College school of biochemistry welcomed the study.
"It's a double whammy."
"It decreases your appetite and boosts insulin, which means you burn more glucose."
Prof O'Neil says the report looks "very credible".
Researchers Hope To Focus The Drug On People With Severe Obesity
The trial was funded by Danish healthcare company Novo Nordisk, which has an office in Dublin.
Professor John Wilding from the University of Liverpool was among those behind the research.
He hopes to focus the drug on people with severe obesity.
"People with medical problems associated with [obesity] such as prediabetes, high rates or heart disease and stroke."
The next step is to get the treatment approved by the various regulatory bodies.
That is already in the pipeline, as it has been sent to the FDA in the US, with the hope of it starting to rollout next year.
