A new class of compounds could provide the benefits of gastric bypass surgery without going under the knife, according to research presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The injectable peptide compounds could reduce eating and boost calorie burn while avoiding the side effects of nausea and vomiting that are common with current weight-loss and diabetes drugs.

In rat models, these compound treatments promoted dramatic weight loss and lowered blood glucose. Those benefits are linked to a post-bypass-surgery change in the gut’s secretion levels of certain hormones—including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY)—that signal fullness, curb appetite and normalize blood sugar, according to ACS.

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