Natural Ozempic Molecule BRP Discovered by Stanford Scientists Using AI — No Nausea or Muscle Loss

Stanford Medicine researchers have identified a naturally occurring molecule that mimics the appetite-suppressing power of semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic — without the nausea, constipation, and muscle loss that lead many patients to abandon weight-loss treatment. The molecule, called BRP, was discovered with the help of artificial intelligence and could open the door to a new generation of obesity drugs with fewer side effects.

Obesity now affects more than one billion people worldwide, and demand for effective weight-loss treatments has never been higher. GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy have transformed obesity care, but side effects including nausea, vomiting, constipation, and loss of lean muscle cause many people to stop treatment. Now, research published in the journal Nature suggests a more targeted option may be on the horizon.

What Is BRP?

BRP — short for BRINP2-related peptide — is a tiny peptide made of just 12 amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. It is produced naturally in the body when an enzyme called prohormone convertase 1/3 cuts a larger precursor protein, BRINP2, into smaller fragments that act as metabolic signals.

Despite its small size, BRP produced the strongest response of any molecule tested in the Stanford study, activating appetite-regulating neurons in laboratory tests at ten times the baseline level — more than three times the effect of GLP-1, the natural hormone that semaglutide copies.

How Artificial Intelligence Made the Discovery Possible

The Stanford team, led by senior author Katrin Svensson, PhD, assistant professor of pathology, built a computer algorithm called Peptide Predictor to hunt through the human genome for hidden metabolic signals that traditional lab methods would struggle to find.

• The algorithm scanned all 20,000 human protein-coding genes for the sites where prohormone convertases cut proteins.
• The search was narrowed to 373 prohormones — inactive precursor molecules that release hormone-like peptides when cleaved.
• Peptide Predictor estimated those prohormones could produce 2,683 distinct peptides.
• The team selected the 100 sequences most likely to affect the brain and tested them on neuron-like cells grown in the laboratory.

BRP was the standout. “The algorithm was absolutely key to our findings,” Svensson said. The study’s lead author is senior research scientist Laetitia Coassolo, PhD.

What the Animal Studies Found

BRP was tested in lean mice and minipigs, which mirror human metabolism and eating patterns more closely than mice do. A single intramuscular injection given before feeding reduced food intake during the following hour by as much as 50% in both species.

In a 14-day trial in obese mice:

• Treated mice lost an average of 3 grams, with nearly all of the reduction coming from body fat.
• Control mice gained about 3 grams over the same period.
• Treated mice showed improved glucose and insulin tolerance — signs of better blood sugar regulation.

Why BRP Is Different From Ozempic

Semaglutide targets GLP-1 receptors found throughout the body — in the brain, the gut, the pancreas, and other tissues. That explains its wide-ranging effects, including slowed digestion, constipation, and blood sugar changes.

BRP, by contrast, appears to act specifically in the hypothalamus, the small brain region that controls appetite, metabolism, and energy use. In behavioral testing, treated animals showed no meaningful differences in movement, water consumption, anxiety-like behavior, or fecal production — suggesting BRP avoids the digestive slowdown and constipation linked to semaglutide. Researchers also observed no nausea-related responses and no significant muscle loss.

What Happens Next: Human Trials on the Horizon

Svensson has co-founded Merrifield Therapeutics, a company that plans to begin clinical trials of BRP in humans in the near future. Before human testing, researchers still need to:

• Identify the exact cell-surface receptors that BRP binds to
• Map the full sequence of events triggered once BRP attaches to its target
• Find ways to make the tiny peptide last longer in the body, since small peptides are normally broken down quickly

“The lack of effective drugs to treat obesity in humans has been a problem for decades,” Svensson said. “Nothing we’ve tested before has compared to semaglutide’s ability to decrease appetite and body weight. We are very eager to learn if it is safe and effective in humans.”

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and other organizations, with contributions from researchers at the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Minnesota; and the University of British Columbia.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is BRP and where does it come from?

BRP (BRINP2-related peptide) is a naturally occurring peptide made of 12 amino acids. It is produced when the enzyme prohormone convertase 1/3 cleaves the BRINP2 protein, releasing a fragment that carries appetite-regulating signals to the brain.

Is BRP the same as Ozempic?

No. The active ingredient in Ozempic, semaglutide, is a synthetic version of the hormone GLP-1 that acts on receptors throughout the body. BRP is a different, naturally occurring molecule that appears to work mainly in the hypothalamus, the brain’s appetite control center.

Does BRP cause nausea or muscle loss?

In animal studies, BRP did not produce the nausea-related responses, constipation, or significant muscle loss associated with semaglutide. These results are preliminary and limited to animals — human trials are needed to confirm whether the same is true in people.

When will BRP be available to the public?

BRP is not available yet. Clinical trials in humans are planned by Merrifield Therapeutics, the company co-founded by the study’s senior author. Its safety and effectiveness in humans have not yet been established.

Could BRP replace Ozempic?

It is too early to say. If BRP proves safe and effective in human trials, it could offer a more targeted weight-loss option with fewer side effects. Until then, semaglutide and other approved GLP-1 drugs remain the standard of care.

Sources: ScienceDaily; Stanford Medicine; Nature.