Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleJabs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy cause not only rapid fat loss but lean muscle loss too (PA)A new study suggests a lab-made protein called apitegromab could help retain lean body mass when individuals use weight-loss injections. Jabs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy cause not only rapid fat loss but lean muscle loss too.Losing this muscle can not only have a large impact on a person’s strength, but fat tissue burns less fat than muscle and a greater lean muscle mass is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.Apitegromab, a monoclonal antibody, works by blocking myostatin, a protein involved in inhibiting muscle growth.For the study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers in the US found that after 24 weeks, participants receiving apitegromab alongside tirzepatide – the drug in Mounjaro – lost less lean mass compared to those on tirzepatide with a placebo. Experts now way larger and longer trials are needed to test the drug’s benefits and safety.In fullMuscle-boosting drug could help retain lean tissue when using weight-loss jabsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in