These exciting results suggest that there may be a novel mechanism for achieving weight loss with a profound loss of body fat and an increase in lean mass, along with other metabolic benefits, said Steve Heymsfield, MD, FTOS, past president of
The Obesity Society and corresponding author of the study. Heymsfield is professor and director of the Metabolism and Body Composition Laboratory at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La.
What Is Bimagrumab?
The study describes bimagrumab (BYM338; Novartis) as a human monoclonal antibody that binds to activin Type II receptors (ActRII) and in turn prevents specific molecular components from inhibiting skeletal muscle growth. Earlier studies involving skeletal muscle in mice, found that bimagrumab treatment had an effect on brown adipose tissue (BAT) differentiation and activity.