De said they looked at a peptide hormone called GLP1, which reduces blood sugar and obesity without the accompanying risk of coma.

"However, it could not be used as it is very unstable and breaks down within minutes inside the body."

De and DiMarchi then "envisioned a pro-drug of GLP to extend the duration of action of this peptide hormone" and succeeded in "prolonging peptide hormone action to once-a-day and once-a-week formulations," according to their paper published in Peptide Science.

Pointing out the significance of these findings, Dr. Jean Mrtinez, a past-President of European Peptide Society wrote in an email: "Once pharmacologically optimised, the different pro-drugs of GLP1 which vary in their duration of action, might give patients the opportunity to choose according to their specific needs."

"The pro-drugs are water soluble and stable in the powder form for long term storage. They are initially biologically inactive, but slowly switch to the active drug at body temperature and pH, driven by the inherent structure built into these pro-drugs."

"This should eliminate chances of variable drug action in between patients," he added.

According to The International Diabetes Federation, obese individuals are far more prone to heart attacks and adult-onset diabetes.

But as Subho Mozumdar, a faculty at the Delhi University points out "One problem commonly associated with insulin treatment is that patients gain weight, and weight gain paradoxically causes diabetes."

"Hence an effective GLP-1 based therapeutic could be revolutionary, as it also reduces obesity," he wrote in an-email.
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