Nano Intelligence Biomedical Engineering Corporation (NIBEC) has acquired a patent regarding the novel peptide for inhibiting fat accumulation and pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating obesity, the company said Friday.

The patent, co-developed with Seoul National University, relates to a pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating obesity based on a peptide for inhibiting fat accumulation. The peptide inhibits the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into adipocytes and inhibits the accumulation of adipose tissue to prevent or treat obesity.

In women, estrogen levels decrease after menopause, which in turn makes the body accumulate abdominal fat and cause complications such as osteoporosis and diabetes.

"Sibutramine, a conventional drug for appetite suppressants, is a drug used as an antidepressant,” a company official said. "This drug causes many side effects as well as fat metabolism disorders for diabetes and hypertension patients."

The peptide developed by NIBEC has similar properties as estrogen such as inhibiting the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into adipocytes while preventing the accumulation of adipose tissue.

“As we are conducting pre-clinical studies for the peptides on nonalcoholic liver diseases, the patent will further prompt research on fat metabolism-related diseases,” the company said.

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