# A New Drug Combo May Protect Muscle During Ozempic-Style Weight Loss

_Evidence Level: Preliminary · Nalbandian M et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, DOI 10.1073/pnas.2606533123_

*15-PGDH inhibition promotes muscle repair and strength recovery during GLP-1 receptor agonist-induced weight loss.*

- **Evidence Level**: Preliminary
- **Why this grade**: Study in obese male mice on a high-fat diet, with no sample size or treatment duration reported, and not yet tested in people.
- **Facts**: Funding: Milky Way Research Foundation (MWRF); SU | SOM | Stanford Cardiovascular…
- **Population**: Animal study
- **Publication Types**: Journal Article
- **Journal**: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- **Sample Size**: Obese mice (number not specified)
- **Authors**: Nalbandian M, Lone J, Le Moal E, Kim I, Jeuris K, Li YK, Kraft P, Zhao M, Koleckar K, Zhang Z, Svensson KJ, Blau HM
- **Graded and published**: 2026-06-02
- **Last edited**: 2026-09-17
- **Topics**: GLP-1, muscle, semaglutide
- **DOI**: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2606533123
- **Free full text**: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13250539/
- **Original Source**: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42228536/

## Summary

Drugs like semaglutide help people lose weight but often shrink muscle too. In obese mice, adding an experimental compound called a 15-PGDH inhibitor helped muscles repair and regrow after injury, without canceling out the weight loss. This points to a possible way to keep muscle while on GLP-1 drugs.

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_Canonical: https://longevity-germany.com/en/research/a-new-drug-combo-may-protect-muscle-during-ozempic-style-weight-loss · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-09-17_