Research Story: LKCMedicine Researchers Lead Development of Gut-Based Compound for Safe Weight Management
 | By Sanjay Devaraja, Editor, The LKCMedicine |
Led by LKCMedicine’s Vice-Dean (Innovation & Enterprise) Associate Professor Andrew Tan and Professor Tan Choon Hong from NTU’s School of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, scientists from NTU Singapore have developed a first-of-its-kind, natural gut-based compound that reduces dietary fat absorption safely. The innovation represents a major breakthrough in metabolic research and highlights LKCMedicine’s leadership in tackling obesity and related chronic diseases.
Unlike most current weight-loss drugs that work by suppressing appetite or altering glucose metabolism, the NTU-developed compounds act locally within the gut to moderate fat uptake, supporting healthier handling of dietary fat without disrupting essential nutrient absorption.
“Our findings suggest that applying a controlled brake on fat absorption in the gut can help reduce the amount of fat reaching the liver, particularly during periods of high-fat intake or for people who are unable to exercise,” said Assoc Prof Andrew Tan. “Diet control and exercise remain the foundation of metabolic health. The aim is to support healthier handling of dietary fats while enabling proper nutrition.”
The compounds are inspired by naturally occurring lipids known as FAHFAs (fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids), which have beneficial metabolic properties but exist only in very small amounts in nature. The NTU team engineered gut-stable FAHFA analogues that retain these natural benefits while remaining effective when taken orally. Animal studies showed that mice fed a high-fat diet gained less weight and accumulated less liver fat when given these compounds, with no toxic side effects observed.
In collaboration with longevity biotech firm Aria Bioscience, the research is progressing towards human studies and eventual consumer products under a medical-grade nutraceutical line. The partnership exemplifies NTU’s innovation ecosystem and LKCMedicine’s commitment to translating scientific discovery into real-world health solutions.
Obesity and fatty liver disease – conditions affecting approximately one billion people globally – are increasing rapidly, underscoring the need for safe, long-term interventions. Local data from Singapore’s National Nutrition Survey 2022 show a rise in dietary fat consumption, highlighting the relevance of such research in addressing metabolic health challenges close to home.
This initiative reflects LKCMedicine’s growing impact in metabolic disease innovation, steering cutting-edge biomedical research towards applications that improve quality of life and support national health priorities. The research work has been published in Pharmacological Research and is now advancing towards clinical application through a collaboration with the Aria Bioscience.